Former Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba established himself as one of the best players at his position in the league when he led the Seattle Seahawks to a victory in Super Bowl LX in February. Smith-Njigba is the latest in a long line of former Buckeyes wide receivers to light up the NFL and bolster the program’s reputation as a producer of talented wideouts.
The Buckeyes have had a wide receiver selected in the first round of the last four NFL drafts, for a total of five prospects. This consistent production reinforces Ohio State’s reputation as the premier destination for college football prospects hoping to make it to the league.
Seahawks Reveal Solution to Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s Ohio State Struggles
During an appearance on “The John Schneider Show” on Thursday, Seahawks director of equipment Erik Kennedy revealed how the NFL franchise found a simple solution to the injuries that plagued Smith-Njigba’s Ohio State career.
“In college, he was wearing a size 12 and had hamstring issues,” Kennedy said. “Gets here, he’s a 10 and a half, wears a 10 and a half. It’s helped him; he hasn’t missed time, it’s done things like that. That helps build trust for us with the players. The last 15 years, we’ve been able to do foot scanning and things like that.”
Smith-Njigba set several program records during his Ohio State career, including single-season receiving yards (1,606), single-season receptions (95), and most receiving yards (347) in the 2022 Rose Bowl against the Utah Utes.
His college career wound down under a cloud after he sat out the 2022 College Football Playoff due to a lingering hamstring injury. At the time, several analysts suggested that he was protecting his draft stock by sitting out the rest of the season.
He was selected No. 20 overall by the Seahawks in the 2023 NFL Draft, and despite his checkered injury history in Columbus, he has never missed a game in the league. Before the Super Bowl in February, Smith-Njigba praised his alma mater for its prolific production of talented NFL wide receivers.
“It’s a long list and it’s about to grow even more,” he said. “I think it’s just too much elite talent from top to bottom in the league. There’s no question now.”
After his heroics for the Seahawks last season, Smith-Njigba was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He was recently rewarded with a four-year, $168.6 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid wide receiver in league history.
