Getty Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers looks on during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lambeau Field on October 03, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The Green Bay Packers have a couple of young playmakers on the outside of their offense but remain shy a viable wide receiver in the slot.
While the current trend in expert NFL draft predictions has turned the Packers toward a defensive lineman with No. 15 overall pick, another school of thought has the team trading up multiple spots in the first round to go after slot wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba of Ohio State.
Specifically, Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report proposed a deal on Wednesday, April 5, that would see Green Bay send the 15th pick along with No. 78 in the third round to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for the 11th overall selection to guarantee Smith-Njigba’s availability.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Pairs Perfectly With Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs in Packers Offense
GettyWide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates a reception during a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio Stadium on October 30, 2021 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Ballentine laid out his argument for the trade in the context of Smith-Njigba’s fit alongside wideouts Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, whom the Packers drafted in the second and fourth rounds in 2022, respectively.
Watson came on mid-season, hauling in 41 catches for 611 yards and seven touchdowns through the air, while also rushing the ball seven times for 80 yards and two scores, per Pro Football Reference. Doubs had a strong start to the beginning of the year before suffering an ankle injury. He produced 42 catches for 425 yards and three touchdowns.
In this scenario, the opportunity to add Jaxon Smith-Njigba is too good to pass up or miss out on. JSN has had an incredibly productive career at Ohio State. He also fits in well with Watson and Doubs. While they both do their best work as deep threats on the outside, Smith-Njigba is a nasty route-runner with the ability to be elite in the slot.
The problem is that the [Houston] Texans at 12 and [New England] Patriots at 14 both stand as potential Smith-Njigba teams that make sense. Rather than wait around and miss out on the talented pass-catcher, the Packers could give the Titans a call.
Smith-Njigba made 95 catches for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns across 13 games during his sophomore campaign in 2021, per Football Reference. The receiver appeared in just three games in 2022 due to a hamstring injury.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba Arguably Top WR Available in 2023 NFL Draft
GettyWide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks to the sideline during a game against the Utah Utes at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2022 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Smith-Njigba would add a safety net for first-year starter Jordan Love, who steps into an enormously pressurized situation as the heir apparent to four-time MVP and Super Bowl-winning quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN has Smith-Njigba rated as the 17th-best overall prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft class and the second-best receiver available.
“This is the same wideout who led Ohio State in catches and yards in 2021, even on a team with two wide receivers drafted in Round 1 of the 2022 draft,” Kiper wrote. “He has stellar burst and explosiveness out of breaks. He’s a hands catcher who can run the entire route tree, and he can make defenders miss after the catch.”
“Most of Smith-Njigba’s work came from the slot in 2021 — all but eight of his catches came while aligned there,” Kiper continued. “He led the FBS in receiving yards per route run (4.0).”
In his most recent mock draft, Kiper has the Seattle Seahawks selecting Smith-Njigba with the No. 20 overall pick. ESPN’s Todd McShay has the OSU receiver going 11th overall to the Titans as the first wideout to come off of the board.