The Seattle Seahawks selected WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba with the 20th overall pick in the NFL Draft, but is the WR room too crowded in Seattle for JSN to make an instant fantasy football impact in 2023? Let’s take a closer look.
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Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s Fantasy Outlook for the 2023 NFL Season
Smith-Njigba sat atop many draft pundits’ rookie WR rankings heading into the NFL Draft.
He comes into the NFL straight out of the box as a hybrid slot WR with elite route-running savvy.
JSN! pic.twitter.com/TVOadwXK7d
— Billy M (@BillyM_91)
The problem is he goes to a team with one of the most productive WR duos in the NFL with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
Despite the change from Russell Wilson to Geno Smith under center, Metcalf and Lockett didn’t miss a beat. Both WRs finished inside the top 20 at the position last season.
Not to mention, 2022 was the only season of Smith’s career where he looked like a starting-caliber QB.
Metcalf and Lockett are still going to be involved, but JSN certainly isn’t going to be invisible, which makes me worry about how reliable any of these players are going to be in 2023.
Are we really sure Smith can produce three fantasy-relevant WRs in this offense? I am not going to be completely dismissive and say it’s not possible, but I don’t see a world where these three quality players don’t cap each other’s fantasy ceilings this season.
Is Smith-Njigba a Good Fantasy Pick?
Unfortunately, Smith-Njigba underwent wrist surgery on Aug. 22 after breaking a bone in his wrist during the team’s second preseason game.
Seahawks’ first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba broke a bone in his wrist on the play in which he almost scored Saturday night. He will have it surgically repaired today in Philadelphia. https://t.co/C7oTkoBv94
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)
The timetable for his return is uncertain at this moment, but his status for Week 1 is certainly in jeopardy.
MORE: 2023 Fantasy Football WR Rankings
JSN is a very talented player, but with him fighting an injury heading into his rookie season with other very talented pass catchers on the roster, JSN feels like a pass on draft day at his current price.
- PFN Consensus Rankings: 90th overall
- ADP: 88th overall
