The Ohio State Buckeyes had an excellent wide receiver room in 2021. Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave became first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.
While the team lost two talented players, Jaxon Smith-Njigba was next in line to lead the Buckeyes.
Unfortunately, injuries limited the star receiver to only three games in 2022. Smith-Njigba had only five receptions for 43 receiving yards in those five games.
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What Did Jaxon Smith-Njigba Do In His College Career?
Despite his injury-plagued 2022 season, Smith-Njigba declared for the 2023 NFL Draft. While his junior year was disappointing, the star receiver was unstoppable in 2021. He had 95 receptions for 1,606 receiving yards and nine touchdowns that year. Furthermore, he led the team in receptions and receiving yards despite Wilson and Olave combining for 135 receptions and 1,994 receiving yards in 2021.
More importantly, Smith-Njigba had an all-time performance in the Rose Bowl. With Wilson and Olave sitting the out the game, Smith-Njigba had 15 receptions for 347 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the win against Utah.
Which Team Could Pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba In The 2023 NFL Draft?
While NFL teams wanted to see the star receiver put together another excellent season in 2022, the former Buckeye will be a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Furthermore, many believe he will be the first wide receiver drafted this year.
Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has compared Smith-Njigba to Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. While the former USC star was a fourth-round pick two years ago, St. Brown has turned into one of the best receivers in the NFL.
Despite having several outstanding classes over the past few years, there are plenty of NFL teams that could select a wide receiver in the first round this year.
However, most of those teams have a pick in the bottom part of the first round. The Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and Buffalo Bills are all potential wide receiver needy teams picking in the 20s.
Of those teams, fantasy players should love to see Smith-Njigba in Buffalo. With Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis on the outside, the Ohio State star could pick apart defenses in the middle part of the field. Furthermore, imagine how fantasy friendly that offense would be with Josh Allen under center.
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