2023 NFL Draft Odds: Jaxon Smith-Njigba Favored to be First Wide Receiver Picked

The Ohio State playmaker has the best odds to be the first receiver picked, but Zay Flowers’s odds are worth keeping an eye on as the draft approaches.

Wide receivers went early and often in the first round of the last two NFL drafts.

In 2022, six receivers were selected in the first 32 picks — one shy of the record set in 2004 — two of which were taken in the top 10. Five wideouts came off the board on Day 1 of the 2021 draft, including three in the top 10 and two among the top-six picks.

The early indication is that the first receiver drafted in 2023 might be in the green room a bit longer than in previous drafts.  In the most recent SI mock draft, the first receiver was taken 20th overall, which would be the latest selection since 2019. But there’s a clear front-runner for who that player will be: Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the odds-on favorite to be the first wideout to hear his name called April 27.

The other contenders include Zay Flowers out of Boston College, Quentin Johnston from TCU, USC’s Jordan Addison (who won the Biletnikoff Award in 2021) and Jalin Hyatt from Tennessee, the 2022 Biletnikoff Award winner.

In the last week, Flowers’s odds have shortened substantially and he jumped Johnston for the second-best odds to be the first receiver drafted. Smith-Njigba has held steady as the favorite while Addison and Hyatt have both seen their odds lengthen marginally.

2023 NFL Draft Odds: First Wide Receiver Drafted

Jaxon Smith-Njigba -200

Zay Flowers +333

Quentin Johnston +400

Jordan Addison +700

Jalin Hyatt +1400

Place your bets for the NFL Draft on SI Sportsbook

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Smith-Njigba (6’1”, 196 lbs) had a monster campaign in 2021 but his 2022 season was hampered by a hamstring injury. He only appeared in three games last year for the Buckeyes. But the last (and only) time he played a full schedule, he set the Big Ten receiving record with 1,606 yards. JSN also caught 95 passes and hauled in nine touchdowns with potential No. 1 overall pick C.J. Stroud under center.

Perhaps even more impressively, he led Ohio State in receiving as an underclassman with 2022 first-round picks Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson also in the receiver room. (Wilson has said Smith-Njigba is a better receiver than both he and Olave.) Described as “a polished route runner with outstanding ball skills and body control,” Smith-Njigba is ranked 21st on SI’s big board behind Johnston (18) and Addison (19) but lands with the Seahawks at pick No. 20 in the latest mock draft as the first wideout selected.

Flowers (5’9”, 182 lbs) was a standout on a 3–9 Eagles team. His 12 touchdowns set a school record, 78 receptions tied the record and 1,077 yards were the third-most in program history. That campaign earned him All-ACC First Team honors for the second time. Despite his size, Flowers has said he can line up anywhere on the field: “I'm not just a slot (receiver). Seventy-five percent of my snaps were played outside, and I think I can move around and play any position that they put me at."

Even though he’s seen his odds shorten from +600 to +333 recently, Flowers is the fourth receiver taken in SI’s 6.0 mock draft. He goes 27th to the Bills, another weapon for quarterback Josh Allen.

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Johnston’s stature (6’3”, 208 lbs) makes him stand out among the top tier of pass-catchers. He was held to one reception for three yards in the Horned Frogs’ national championship loss to Georgia, but that was after he racked up 163 yards in a win over Michigan in the College Football Playoff semifinal. Johnston recorded 60 receptions for 1,069 yards and six scores on the season.

He has a unique combination of size and speed that allows him to be a dynamic downfield threat and he’s the highest-rated receiver on SI’s big board. Johnston is selected by the Ravens with the 22nd pick in the mock draft.

Addison (5’11”, 173 lbs) shined in 2021 at Pittsburgh with 2022 first-round quarterback Kenny Pickett. He accumulated 100 catches, 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns on his way to earning the award for the nation’s most outstanding receiver. An ankle injury forced Addison to miss a handful of games in 2022 after his transfer to USC, but he was still plenty productive and finished with 59 catches, 875 yards and eight touchdowns, all of which led the team.

Route running and ball skills set Addison apart as a prospect, but his slight frame could be a concern for some front offices. He ends up with Justin Herbert and the Chargers at pick No. 22 in SI’s latest mock draft.

You might have heard of Hyatt (6’0”, 176 lbs) last fall after his five-touchdown, 207-yard outing against Alabama. That was his best performance of the season, and he went on to finish with 67 catches, 1,267 yards, 15 scores and the Biletnikoff Award. Hyatt had limited production prior to 2022 but he is an absolute burner who thrived in the Volunteers’ scheme.

Size could hurt Hyatt’s draft stock, but the speed that he has cannot be taught. He comes in at No. 25 on the big board and the Chiefs get Patrick Mahomes help at receiver in SI’s mock draft with the final pick of the first round.

When draft day comes around, the run on receivers could occur earlier than anticipated, and as of early April, Smith-Njigba is the favorite to be the first wideout taken. But after the recent change in Flowers’s odds, it’s worth monitoring this market throughout the month for any further shifts.

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