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The Seattle Seahawks drafted wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba with the 20th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Smith-Njigba was a superstar at Ohio State, totaling 95 catches for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021. The wideout didn't play much in 2022 with a hamstring injury, but the talent is surely there.
With Smith-Njigba joining D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in the Seahawks' wide receiver room, they form one of the game's best trios in the league. The rookie, though, recently got surgery on a wrist injury he suffered during preseason.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba To Begin Season On Active Roster https://t.co/1ME2ThSzbM
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— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) August 28, 2023
Will he begin the season on the PUP list? How long will he be out for? Let's dive in.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Begins Season On Active Roster
The high-profile rookie wide receiver suffered a wrist injury during the Seahawks' second pregame game against the Dallas Cowboys. The injury seemed to occur when Smith-Njigba caught a 48-yard reception and got tackled at the one-yard line.
While he didn't seem in any pain, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters later that the rookie was set to undergo wrist surgery for "a slight fracture." Last week, Carroll said that the rookie was going to miss three to four weeks, which would put him on track to return around the first two weeks of the regular season.
#Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who recently underwent surgery to repair a small broken bone in his wrist, is expected to begin the season on the active roster, source said. No word yet on his availability for W1, but avoiding IR/designated to return is a sign he'll play soon.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 28, 2023
After the Seahawks didn't place Smith-Njigba on the injured list to begin the season, it's a great sign that the rookie will be available in the first couple of weeks. Although he's still uncertain for Week 1, the wideout will begin the year on the active roster and will definitely return sometime within the first four weeks.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba 2023 Fantasy Football Outlook
Smith-Njigba didn't land in the best fantasy situation for 2023, considering he'll have to compete with Metcalf and Lockett for targets in the passing game. The good news, though, is that nobody was more accurate as a passer than quarterback Geno Smith last year.
The Seahawks threw the ball at the 13th-highest mark (59.4%) in 2022, and that number could increase with Smith-Njigba in town. It's always a risk to draft rookie wide receivers in fantasy, but there's no doubt they can be league winners.
Sneaky big news that Jaxon Smith-Ngiba (wrist surgery) won't start year on IR. Means #Seahawks expect him back before the Week 5 bye.
And if you believe Pete Carroll quotes (always a stretch) from Saturday, maybe JSN has a chance for Week 1 or 2? pic.twitter.com/G7HcYgKvlX
— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) August 28, 2023
Smith-Njigba is definitely worth the risk at his ADP, going in the ninth round of one-quarterback leagues. With the recent injury, he might drop down even further in drafts, and you should snatch him up with ease.
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