Seattle Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba Due for Breakout 2nd Season

Jaxon Smith-Njigba only scratched the surface of his potential with the Seattle Seahawks in his rookie year.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 17, 2024

Oct 29, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) walks off the field after the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Cleveland Browns at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

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Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a respectable rookie season, totaling 63 catches for 628 yards and four touchdowns.

With Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf alongside him in the offense, Smith-Njigba was going to have to wait his turn. However, his second season could reflect more of why he was taken with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Bleacher Report writer Alex Ballentine believes a breakout season could be on tap for the rising young receiver in offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb's offense.

"Looking ahead, JSN has put together a full offseason and was noted for strong performances in OTAs," Ballentine writes. "The only concern for a JSN breakout season could be the competition for targets. However, he still saw 93 as a rookie, and Tyler Lockett is a logical trade candidate if the Seahawks aren't competitive by the trade deadline. A Smith-Njigba breakout season could form a new formidable duo in the Pacific Northwest."

Smith-Njigba, 22, is growing more comfortable in the NFL and perhaps with more of a collegiate-style offense curated by new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, his talents could be more on display.

The Seahawks didn't draft Smith-Njigba in the first round just to be a third receiver. While he would start as one, the goal is for him to eventually blossom into a co-star with Metcalf or eventually the No. 1 target in Seattle's offense. His 2024 campaign should be another step towards that goal.

Smith-Njigba and the rest of the Seahawks veterans are set to report to training camp on Tuesday, July 23.

Published Jul 17, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.