Don’t read too much into Ohio State WR’s slow 40 at pro day

Don’t let a slow 40 time at Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s Ohio State pro day stop you from drafting the former Buckeyes star wide receiver.

Just draft former Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and figure it out later.

Smith-Njigba may have missed the bulk of the 2022 campaign due to an injury, but he certainly did enough in his breakout 2021 season to merit being a first-round caliber player. He took over in the Rose Bowl vs. Utah when teammates Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson opted out. While he may have faced big pressure in what was his final year in Columbus, Smith-Njigba is ready for the NFL.

Although fellow Ohio State alum Albert Breer shared that Smith-Njigba’s official 40-yard dash time during his pro day was only a 4.53, I don’t think that matters when it comes to drafting him.

It was his precise route-running and lateral quickness than made him a top NFL Draft prospect.

A slow 40 time at Ohio State pro day is not slowing down Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Despite missing most of last year, Smith-Njigba is slated to be coming off the board in the early to mid-teens in the 2023 NFL Draft. He could theoretically go as high as No. 8 to the Atlanta Falcons, but probably no lower than to the Seattle Seahawks with their own pick at No. 20. Odds are, he will go to a team like the Houston Texans picking at No. 12 or the Green Bay Packers at No. 15.

Simply put, Smith-Njigba is not a burner or much of a vertical threat down the field. Where he is at his best is in the short-to-medium passing game. He could make a killing in the slot. His lateral quickness will have linebackers’ heads spinning trying to keep up with him. However, it probably serves him to go to a franchise with an offensive-minded head coach to get the most out of him.

Not to say Smith-Njigba has all that much bust potential, but if he goes to a team that does not know what it is doing offensively and puts him in the less-than-advantageous positions where he struggles to get separation, that could be a big issue. Furthermore, the farther he falls down the draft board, the better team he will probably end up going to. Frankly, that should serve him well.

Look Smith-Njigba to make teams who passed on him inside the top 10 look stupid for doing so.

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