Resting on the podium overlooking a gaggle of reporters, Jaxon Smith-Njigba looked a composed figure.
The Ohio State wideout had seen only a few downs of action in 2022. Still, he had earned more than a few admirers, interviewer after interviewer peppering him with questions.
Smith-Njigba won't take part in the 40-yard dash in this year's NFL Combine, but he still views himself among the fastest, strongest and most capable of this year's crop, a belief he reaffirmed Friday morning in Indianapolis.
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"My playmaking ability is second to none," Smith-Njigba said. "I see myself as a top-five player, not just a receiver. I see myself as a top-five player in this draft. . . . You throw me the ball seven to nine times, I can win you the game."
Before suffering an ACL tear last season, Smith-Njigba proved himself one of the most dynamic players in the country in his time in Columbus. In 2021, he earned third-team All-America after snagging 95 catches for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore. Smith-Njigba famously capped his season in style, putting up a Rose Bowl-record 347 receiving yards in the Buckeyes' demolition of USC.
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After that performance, he was touted as one of the top prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft. He earned rave reviews from a number of media outlets.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba draft projection
The Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer, in his latest mock draft, has Smith-Njigba going to the Chargers with the No. 22 overall pick.
Scouts aren't the only football people high on Smith-Njigba. Former OSU teammate Garrett Wilson — the No. 10 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft — believes Smith-Njigba brings a skill set greater than that of himself or Chris Olave, another Ohio State alum who went in the first round of last year's draft.
Garrett Wilson still maintains that Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a better receiver than him or Chris Olave. He’s a guy that will “do the laundry for you” pic.twitter.com/oFeHCi8qPj
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) February 9, 2023
Garrett Wilson in 2021 on Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
— Peter Bukowski (@Peter_Bukowski) March 3, 2023
“Jaxon is as good as I’ve ever seen, probably the best I’ve ever seen.”
Also called him, "the most natural athlete I’ve ever seen.”
I just don't really care about his 40 time.
That's a ringing endorsement from a future contemporary.
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On the topic of Ohio State, Smith-Njigba expressed regret that he wasn't able to play more. He believes that if he had, confetti could have rained down on the scarlet and gray.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba believes Ohio State would have won the national championship had he been healthy all of last season. pic.twitter.com/jtvAYPnKH5
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) March 3, 2023
Still, a first-round selection is a pretty good consolation prize. And judging by the way those around the league view the 21-year old, it seems Smith-Njigba will have every chance to prove his worth at the next level.
I think the best way to describe Jaxon Smith-Njigba is that he’s a quarterback’s Phone-a-Friend 👬 pic.twitter.com/ZykxbLB2bG
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) February 24, 2023
