Getty The Giants are an ideal fit for a 2023 NFL draft WR compared to a Cowboys star.
Adding a marquee wide receiver will be among the priorities for the New York Giants this offseason. Fortunately, the 2023 NFL draft class is loaded at the position, with the Giants named among the best fits for a prospect compared to Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowler CeeDee Lamb.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been ranked by ESPN’s Matt Miller atop the 10 best wideouts set to enter the pros this year. The Giants aren’t the only team who could use the Ohio State star, with the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans also mentioned, but Big Blue has the more obvious need for a playmaker as versatile as Smith-Njigba.
Giants Best Fit for ‘True WR1’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Miller spoke to several scouts from around the league about Smith-Njigba’s potential. One scout believes “As long as he’s healthy in September, he’s the only (wide receiver) in this class that is a true WR1.”
It’s lofty praise, but Smith-Njigba merits the hype, especially based on his history-making performance against Utah in last year’s Rose Bowl:
Health has been an issue since, with Smith-Njigba playing in just three games because of hamstring injuries. Those issues have one NFC area scout concerned, per Miller: “He’s scary (as a prospect), because when he’s out there, he’s so good — but hamstring injuries have a way of coming back.”
The Giants needn’t share those concerns though. Not when their own wide receiver corps is threadbare.
Season-ending ACL injuries ruled out Sterling Shepard and rookie Wan’Dale Robinson, whose absences forced Richie James, Darius Slayton and Isaiah Hodgins into the spotlight. The latter trio are all set to be free agents, so the Giants have room for fresh options, unlike the Falcons who have rookie Drake London, while the Texans still rely on Brandin Cooks.
Smith-Njigba is the Giants’ best choice because his core skills fit what they are already trying to do in the passing game. Those skills are also traits he shares with Lamb.
Giants Need Their Own CeeDee Lamb
The best aspect of Smith-Njigba’s game is his work from the slot, something the Giants coveted when they selected Robinson in the second round of the 2022 draft. Smith-Njigba, a “crafty slot receiver,” according to ESPN’s Jordan Reid, outplayed Robinson in this key area, per PFF College:
Power Five WR’s with the most slot receptions last season
1️⃣ Josh Downs: 95
2️⃣ Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 87
3️⃣ Wan’Dale Robinson: 73
A receiver this comfortable working underneath and between the hash marks is ideal for Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. The latter has improved his game this season by making short, safe throws between the numbers.
What’s missing from Jones’ game is more big plays through the air. He’s made just 27 completions for 20 yards or more, the fewest in the league.
The best way to generate more big plays is by targeting a dynamic playmaker from the slot. It’s what Lamb is whenever he’s lined up inside, per PFF Fantasy Football:
CeeDee Lamb when lined up in the slot:
🔥 759 YDS (1st)
🔥 2 TDs
🔥 94.7 REC Grade (1st)
Turning short throws into long gains is what the best slot receivers do regularly. The elite pass-catchers at the position can also stretch defenses vertically from the inside.
That’s what Lamb did for this touchdown against the Washington Commanders, broken down by ESPN Matchup’s Matt Bowen:
From NFL Matchup
#Cardinals–#Cowboys today…
We went to the tape on the Dallas pass game.
Here’s a staple Hi-Lo stretch concept vs. 3-deep — with Dak Prescott targeting CeeDee Lamb on the over route.
This is the kind of field-stretching potential the Giants need from the slot. They need a WR1 able to boss the middle and still win on the outside, the way two-time 1,000-yard receiver Lamb does.
The Giants know all about Lamb’s threat after he caught 14 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown across two games against them this season. Both were wins for the Cowboys, with Lamb making clutch plays like this fourth-down grab from the slot in Week 3, highlighted by RJ Ochoa of SB Nation’s Blogging The Boys:
People rightfully made a big deal about CeeDee Lamb’s touchdown catch against the Giants, but this was his play of the game imo.
Fourth down, desperately needing to get something going, he stepped up big-time and held on.
He is him. WR1.
(via @NFL)
At 6-foot, 197 pounds, Smith-Njigba has the same playing style and physical profile as 6-foot-2, 200-pounder Lamb and would make the same plays at different levels of coverage.
Using a first-round pick on Smith-Njigba would be a worthy investment for a Giants offense that can’t afford to go through another season without a difference-maker at wide receiver.