'Great Expectations!' What Can Rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba Do For Seahawks - Right Away?

Seattle Seahawks rookie receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba has a ton of hype ahead of his debut season, but what should fans reasonably expect this fall?

The Seattle Seahawks made a big splash at the 2023 NFL Draft, taking star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba at No. 20 overall.

Seattle already had one of the better receiver rooms in the league, highlighted by veteran Tyler Lockett and freak athlete D.K. Metcalf. Now, the Seahawks are adding a receiver who in 2021, had over 1,600 yards and nine touchdowns, even outperforming his Ohio State teammates in Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, both 2022 first-round picks. With the addition of Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks may be in the running for having the best receiver trio in the league.

With the hype surrounding Smith-Njigba, many Seahawks fans have high expectations for the former Buckeyes star. Seattle Sports' Brock Huard, a former Seahawks quarterback, wondered if Smith-Njigba's rookie season could rival some of the best in franchise history, with around 800-900 yards and eight touchdowns.

Both Huard and his co-host Matt "Stretch" Johnson agreed that Smith-Njigba could reach the touchdown benchmark, but the yardage mark seems like more of a stretch. Huard then added that how productive Smith-Njigba is could depend on the status of his fellow receivers, and how much the Seahawks are willing to let him loose.

“I think it will depend an awful lot on the health of Tyler and DK," Huard said on Wednesday's Brock and Salk Podcast. "If those two guys play 15 or 16 games, I don’t think those numbers are quite attainable.”

While Huard doesn't expect Smith-Njigba to shatter rookie receiver records, he does see a specific niche for the newest Seahawks pass-catcher. Huard believes that Smith-Njigba will be essential on third-down situations, and could bring a new dimension to the offense in said situations.

“There were other (receiver prospects available. Zay Flowers, the kid out of Boston College, home-run hitter, great receiver (who went 22nd overall to Baltimore). They loved him, too. But ultimately it was like, ‘OK, DK’s here for the long-term, Tyler’s still got a few more years. We need that third component. We need that role player that can be a star. But we need that third-down difference maker,’ and that is where I think his numbers could supersede any rookie in the history of this team when it comes to that money down, and that’s what I’ll be watching.”

Smith-Njigba is one of the headliners for Seattle's widely-praised rookie class, and all eyes will be on him once the season kicks off in September.

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You can find Jonathan Alfano on Twitter @JonAlfano_News

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