Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba isn't blazingly fast, and he isn't the biggest of receivers. Maybe he is a pure slot corner whose upside is ultimately limited. He can help a team win, but he's not a true WR1.
Hardly anything of the above is factual, of course, and 12s know it. Still, most of that was what many NFL draft pundits said before the Seahawks chose JSN in the first round of the 2023 draft. As it turns out, the only thing holding Smith-Njigba back in the league was former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.
Since Waldron was not retained after the 2023 season, JSN has taken off. This is the case in 2025, even though the team traded DK Metcalf this past offseason. Many thought Smith-Njigba wouldn't be able to be great if Metcalf was distracting the coverage schemes of opponents.
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald says all the right things about Jaxon Smith-Njigba
In fact, giving Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers only helped JSN. He currently is on pace to destroy Seattle's single-season record for receiving yards and catches. He likely won't end up with 1,972 yards, but that is where he is trending after six games.
As far as all the narratives draft pundits set for Jaxon Smith-Njigba after he was selected by Seattle, head coach Mike Macdonald knows how laughably bad they were. Speaking postgame after the Seahawks had defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6, Macodnald was asked about Seattle's best receiver and gave a very succinct and correct answer.
A reporter asked, "What about (Smith-Njigba's) ability to win, just to take the top off the defense? He sort of came into the NFL, maybe people kind of wrongfully pegged him as a slot underneath guy, but showing that he can..."
Macdonald, cutting the reporter off, said, "That's a good evaluation, that they wrongfully pegged him as a slot guy. That's the answer. He's just a great receiver."
Jaxon Smith-Njigba isn't just ascending toward the best season by a wide receiver in Seattle Seahawks history, but he could be on track to be the second-best receiver overall by the time he is done in Seattle.
After a rookie season stunted by the poor scheme of Shane Waldron, JSN had a 1,000-yard receiving season in year two and leads the NFL with 696 receiving yards through Week 6. He is fifth in catches with 42. He also leads in the NFL in catches of 20-plus yards with 13.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba isn't just great. He is one of the best receivers in the NFL. Seattle Seahawks fans know this, as does head coach Mike Macdonald. Draft "gurus" are the only ones who seemed to have missed the memo.