Analyst Explains Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s Expanded Role In Seattle Seahawks Offense

What lies ahead for Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Year 2?

Oct 22, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) catches a pass during pregame warmups prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Considering the sheer amount of hype that Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba entered the league with, it's hard to not feel like his rookie season was a bit of a let-down.

Smith-Njigba, the No. 20 overall pick in last year's draft, finished his rookie season with 63 receptions for 628 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games. Not bad, but probably not as much as the Seahawks would've hoped for, even if he was playing alongside two other great wideouts in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

Heading into Year 2, though, Smith-Njigba is a prime breakout candidate. According to Charles Davis of CBS Sports and NFL Network, the Seahawks are doing everything they can to help foster the young wideout's development.

“I don’t know what was happening last year,” Davis said on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. “And I’m not criticizing. But every time I saw Jaxon Smith-Njigba make a catch, whether I saw it in a game I did or in other games, I thought he was within five yards of the line of scrimmage. I was like, ‘At some point, he’s gonna get downfield, right?’ And I saw that in Nashville. I saw that in the joint practices.”

According to Pro Football Focus, Smith-Njigba's average depth of target last season was just 6.4 yards. That placed him at 77th out of 80 qualified receivers.

When he was targeted deep, though, the Ohio State product made the most of his chances. PFF says he was targeted 11 times on passes that traveled at least 20 yards, and he hauled in six of them for 170 yards and three touchdowns. That includes what was arguably his defining moment from last season, a 29-yard game-winning touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15.

If he can pull that off on a consistent basis, then Smith-Njigba could be in for a huge jump in Year 2.