FanDuel prediction for Jaxon Smith-Njigba should make Seahawks fans happy

Jaxon Smith-Njigba's numbers as a rookie were fairly pedestrian. There is no shame in that. Wide receiver is one of the more difficult positions to make an immediate impact in the NFL. Plus, JSN had potential targets taken away by veterans DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Also, he began the season after having to overcome a recent wrist injury.

Smith-Njigba finished with 63 receptions and just 628 yards and four touchdowns. He also dropped a surprising 10 passes because coming into the league one of the receiver's strengths was that he could - and would - catch everything thrown his way. He did improve as the season wore on, however, and he will likely be better this season.

He still will have targets taken away by Metcalf and Lockett, though. His potential production is limited by that. If anything, he is likely to take targets away from Lockett who is the older receiver and the one less likely to be with the team in 2025. Seattle needs to know that JSN can be a great option well into the future and the team needs to learn that this season.

FanDuel thinks Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba is going to be very productive in 2024

FanDuel, at least, has high hopes for the young receiver. In a recent ranking of presumed WR3s in the NFL, the betting site ranks JSN as the fourth-best. He trails the Tennessee Titans' Tyler Boyd, Jacksonville Jaguars' Gabe Davis, and the Houston Texans' Tank Dell. Boyd is a long-term veteran, Davis wasn't great in his first two seasons but has been better the last two years.

Dell is the outlier. He was also a rookie in 2023 and joined a team with a better offensive system than what Seattle had under former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Texans OC Bobby Slowik had a better plan in place for rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud than Waldron would have ever had, and this led to success for Dell too.

JSN received more targets than Dell and had a higher catch rate, but during much of the early part of the season, Smith-Njigba was used on shorter routes. This stunted his early development and led to a season where his numbers were underwhelming. Now the Seahawks have a new offensive coordinator with Ryan Grubb and JSN's role will change.

FanDuel ranking Jaxon Smith-Njigba fourth is fine. That means good things are expected. The truth is, however, that with a new offensive direction, the Seahawks receiver could have a break-out season and be the best WR3 in the league. In actuality, he might end up being Seattle's WR2 by the end of the year.

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