Getty Images Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is expected to be one of the first receivers off the board during April’s NFL Draft and he’d love to land with the Dallas Cowboys.
Smith-Njigba sat out most of last season with Ohio State with injuries but set the Big Ten receiving record in 2021 with 1,606 yards. He was an explosive weapon for the Buckeyes and would be a solid option for the Cowboys with their first-round pick — No. 26 overall.
Smith-Njigba spoke with RJ Ochoa of “Blogging The Boys” and shared his love for the Cowboys franchise and his feelings on potentially being drafted by Dallas.
“Just growing up right there in Rockwall, Texas, just close and all my family. Being a Cowboy, it would definitely be a blessing and an honor,” he told Ochoa. “I know that star on that helmet means something. Growing up I always loved watching them play. It was hard sometimes, I’ve been there with the fans. Ups and downs. It would be a blessing, wherever I go, but definitely special if I was a Cowboy.”
McShay on Smith-Njigba: ‘He’s Going to be a No. 3 WR’
While Smith-Njigba’s production at the college level was outstanding, not everyone is convinced he’ll be a game-changer at the next level.
“I see the ability to create. But I do I think he’s going to be a No. 3 receiver,” ESPN’s Todd McShay said in January. “And every NFL scout that I’ve talked to said, ‘You take a No. 3 early-mid-second-round pick. That’s not a first-round pick.’ Mel’s got him at No. 5 overall. That’s fine. We can disagree on that. It’s OK. But I think there’s something missing there. And maybe I’ll be proven wrong.”
In McShay’s most recent mock draft, he has Smith-Njigba going No. 24 to the Jaguars — two picks before the Cowboys.
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb Expressed Need for More Weapons
The Cowboys came up short of their Super Bowl-sized goals last season, getting bounced in the Divisional Round by the San Francisco 49ers. CeeDee Lamb — the top wide receiver in Dallas — expressed during Super Bowl week that he believes the Cowboys need more weapons around Dak Prescott.
“You gotta surround (the quarterback),” Lamb said. “You go look at the Eagles, and they’ve got three receivers, a great tight end group, they run the ball well, the O-line is very phenomenal. You look at San Fran, they surrounded their quarterback and you get success ultimately. I mean we’ve got just as many weapons, but that extra player, all it takes is one. You can be so close to the Super Bowl and it can be a deciding factor.”
Lamb had 107 catches for 1,359 yards and nine touchdowns last season, garnering Pro Bowl honors for a second consecutive season. However, he wasn’t satisfied with the season.
“Unfortunately, here we are again,” Lamb said. “I hate being close, I’m sure everyone on the team does, and we owe (a win) to all of our fans. It’s been quite some time since we had a Lombardi come back to Dallas.”
Smith-Njigba would be a good fit in Dallas alongside Lamb, Michael Gallup and others. The Cowboys took Jalen Tolbert in the third round last season but he had just two catches as he struggled to find playing time.