“The Green Bay Packers haven’t drafted a wide receiver in the first round in 20 years. Why would they start now?” Thus is the refrain from Packer Nation any time you mention a highly ranked wide receiver prospect in this year’s draft.
We get it. Green Bay doesn’t like to spend draft capital on weapons. Green Bay also has had a Hall of Fame quarterback for the last three decades. Those guys generally make wide receivers look good. You can build a philosophy, right or wrong, around the idea of not drafting receivers early when you have historic talent at the league’s most important position.
With Aaron Rodgers all but out the door it’s only a matter of time before the clock starts on the Jordan Love era in Green Bay. Although his potential and abilities remain up for debate, what most can agree on is that the former Utah State quarterback will be inheriting a pretty solid supporting run game. With one of the better offensive lines in the game and a dominant running back tandem in Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon, Love will likely be put in positions to succeed early on.
Pass catchers are where Love could use the most assistance. Christian Watson looks like a breakout star. Romeo Doubs has an extremely high ceiling. But with Allen Lazard in New York and Robert Tonyan in Chicago, Green Bay would be wise to consider both wide receiver and tight end early in the draft.
If we’re talking wide receiver and we’re talking early in the draft, we need to be talking about Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Smith-Njigba could be the perfect complement to Watson’s raw athleticism. Paired together the duo could have top of the league potential.
JSN burst onto the scene as a sophomore when he lit up the Rose Bowl for 347 yards and three touchdowns on 15 receptions.
At 6 foot 1 and 201 pounds he already has the size most NFL teams are looking for. The main concern surrounding JSN was his speed. He put some of those worries to rest this past week when he surprised everyone with a 4.52 40-yard dash. That isn’t blazing speed by NFL standards but for a receiver with such skill it’ll do the trick.
The 21 year old former Buckeye thrives as a route runner displaying a keen ability to create space through footwork. It isn’t rare to see Smith-Njigba gliding through massive openings in the opposing defense. His high football IQ will benefit him early as he learns an offense and late as it should allow him to age gracefully in the NFL.
What about his hands? They are some of the best in college football. His ability to track the ball at its catch point and bring it down makes him dangerous. Once he has the ball he can quickly turn deadly. Smith-Njigba’s field vision makes him potentially elite at run after the catch.
He’s not a perfect prospect. Though he impressed with speed at his pro day the tape clearly shows a lack of top-end speed. JSN won’t pull away from opposing defensive backs very often. This isn’t necessarily a problem. We have seen many players win on their route running alone. Cooper Kupp and Keenan Allen have made exceptional careers doing just that
During his time at Ohio State almost all of Smith-Njigbas production came on free releases from the slot. He was rarely challenged in press-man coverage. Justin Jefferson faced a similar criticism coming out of college. In Jefferson’s case the system required him to play in the slot. With JSN teams will need to evaluate his skill set to see if he’s slot-only at the next level like Allen, or if he can play on the outside as well
Regardless, his current skill set would be warmly welcomed by the Packers new-look receiving room. The potential is off the charts. Watson can act as the deep threat weapon, commanding defenses and opening opportunities while JSN could kill them underneath. See Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen early in their run at Minnesota for a comparison. Is that a pretty high set of expectations? Absolutely. But Green Bay just might come to find that when you actually spend first round capital on a wide receiver not only do they meet your expectations they blow by them.
Smith-Njigba is currently mocked anywhere between 9 with the Chicago Bears and 23 with the Minnesota Vikings with Green Bay being a popular destination on many mocks. Yahoo and Fox Sports both have JSN heading to Lambeau at 15. If the Packers manage to get the 13th pick away from New York there is a potential to go wide receiver and tight end in the first round. Whether that would mean taking Njigba and the Notre Dame stud Mayer or trading back in the first round for a guy like Darnell Washington, the options are plenty.
The irony of drafting two of college football’s top weapons the year Aaron Rodgers leaves wouldn’t be lost on anyone. Still, that’s not a good reason to avoid smart strategy. It’s time to give Love as much help as possible and see if this Packers team can surprise everyone.
Here’s a great video of Kirk Herbstreet talking with JSN and teammates mixed with highlights.
Here’s the best Njigba highlight film available currently.
