JetPack Galileo
Jan 16, 2023
College: Ohio State
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 200
Projected 40 Time: 4.52
Strength: YAC
Weakness: Top Speed
Draft Projection: Top 15
After Ja'Marr Chase's success, Jaxon Smith-Njigba's lost 2022 season doesn't seem to bother many analysts. Chase's lone, dominant sophomore year was enough to lock him in as the top WR in his draft class. JSN might earn similar respect from NFL teams.
Jaxon's game will carry over smoothly to the NFL. He's been a technically refined receiver since his high school days. The tape from all-star recruiting camp one-on-ones showed an unstoppable player with an advanced release toolkit. With Garret Wilson and Chris Olave on the outside, Jaxon lined up 95+% of his reps in the slot. That many slot reps can lead to questions about a players release, simply because you don't get very many reps against press coverage (only able to find about 30 seconds worth in 5+ games for our Film Room "Vs Press" vid). Justin Jefferson faced similar questions due to his high slot volume at LSU. Like Jefferson, I think there's enough in Jaxon's tape (even high school tape) to indicate that he can win at the line.
In the play below, JSN puts his defender in the blender. Just undresses the dude. There are so many layers to the greatness of this rep but the first is his release. Most of the time, the WR has several seconds to read his defender's position and come up with a plan of attack. He can gain a feel throughout the game after facing the same guy at the line multiple times and put together a strategy for each play. Due to the offensive motion and late shift of the DB into press position, JSN's release is entirely improvised. And he's instantaneously gone. No hesitation, just wiggle & out. That type of immediate problem-solving reveals immense experience. His release game is not going to be an issue.
His work against off-man pairs unique movement capability with intelligent route strategy. In the play below, JSN does a great job of pressing vertically before ripping outside, but he is able to optimize the timing with unique footwork. Typically cuts are placed by the opposite foot - right foot plants to cut left, left foot plants to cut right. Here, Jaxon uses the same side foot to shift momentum. Beautiful efficiency. So smooth, you'd never know without slow mo.
Smith-Njigba doesn't have elite top end speed, but that's not a necessary component for greatness. JSN creates separation with pace variation. The contrast forces a reaction. The greater the contrast, the greater the reaction. With this "float hop" JSN multiplies the potency of his sharp cut by throwing a slow pacer right before.
He applies this same strategy to his post-catch game as well. The contrast intensifies the violence of his cuts. He slices up defenses with ninja precision.
When it comes to physicality, Jaxon has plenty. He brings it in the screen game as a blocker. Don't care much about blocking for fantasy, but it's great to see a guy with this tenacity.
And he makes physical plays on the ball through contact.
Generally speaking, his ball skills are excellent and his body control leaps off the screen. Here he is using the wrong foot to do something awesome again. Very good spatial awareness and control.
When Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave both say Jaxon is the best athlete of the three of them, they're referring to stuff like this. He's the type of athlete that's just good at anything he picks up. Not the biggest, not the fastest, just naturally good at every thing on the fly and in the moment. They've seen him dominate in spikeball and ping-pong and any other game under the sun.
This athleticism is indicative of Smith-Njigba's hidden versatility. Although we only have one season of slot reps, he should not be pigeon-holed into that role. His advanced technique and special quickness prove that he's more than just a slot guy. Amon-Ra St. Brown's recent fantasy success is a great reminder that inside-outside doesn't matter as much as volume integration with the scheme. Jaxon will command that type of volume no matter where he is lined up. He's certainly a better prospect than ARSB. Golden Tate is my current comp. Tough and slippery. Can make the spectacular catch and the spectacular juke. He'll get the job done no matter where you play him.