Seahawks were cautious in spring with Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Now he’s set for a summer splash
His first NFL weeks seemed like months.
Because Jaxon Smith-Njigba just...waited.
The Seahawks’ first-round draft choice arrived in Seattle for the first time in May excited to show coach Pete Carroll, quarterback Geno Smith, fellow wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett — heck, every team staffer including the groundskeepers — why Seattle selected him 20th overall in this year’s draft.
Yet through rookie minicamp, then the first weeks of organized team activities (OTAs), Smith-Njigba mostly watched. He caught some passes and did some individual drills at the start of practices. But then he stood behind Smith leading the starting offense’s huddles. He held a play card to follow along with the formations and calls. He jogged out to shadow Metcalf, Lockett, Cody Thompson, Dee Eskridge and undrafted rookie Jake Bobo in the formation before snaps.
But he didn’t run the plays or pass patterns against the defense. For his first Seahawks impressions May into June, he watched instead of proved.
“Yeah, it’s tough,” Smith-Njigba said last month, moments after Carroll took the team’s rookies on a canoe paddle around Lake Washington with members of the Muckleshoot Indian tribe during the last OTAs of the offseason.
“But I was having fun, just being out there with the guys, playing football again. It was fun.
“You know, I wanted to do more. But I knew my time was going to come.”
Why cautious with Smith-Njigba?
The Seahawks were being prudent. Smith-Njigba missed all but 2 1/2 games last season, his final college one at Ohio State, because of a hamstring injury. He got that in the Buckeyes’ opener against Notre Dame last Labor Day weekend.
Carroll, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and Seattle’s coaches had seen enough from Smith-Njigba in the 2022 Rose Bowl to know he’d instantly fit the Seahawks as a third, slot receiver inside Metcalf and Lockett. They’d been seeking one they could count on for years.
They found one when Smith-Njigba destroyed Utah with a Rose Bowl performance legendary for that legendary game. He had a Rose Bowl-record 15 catches for 347 yards and three touchdowns in Ohio State’s 48-45 victory two seasons ago. The yards receiving were the most ever in a Football Bowl Subdivision postseason game. That ended the 2021 season in which Smith-Njigba set the OSU record for yards receiving (1,606, in 13 games).
He could have missed all of the 2022 season for the Buckeyes and the Seahawks likely still would have sought to draft him with one of their four picks in the first two rounds this spring. That’s how much they loved what they’d already seen.
So the Seahawks largely rested him for his first weeks with them. Then in June, for the team’s full, mandatory minicamp for all players, Smith-Njigba was full go.
He showed off his smooth, precise route running. He reached and caught Smith’s and backup quarterback Drew Lock’s passes away from his body, something that usually takes NFL receivers years to master. Doing that often keeps the ball away from defenders in tight coverage. It also prevents the ball from getting into his body and clanging off the chest plate of his shoulder pads. That’s often what leads young receivers in the league to drop passes.
Geno Smith is impressed
Starting Wednesday with the first practice of training camp, Smith-Njigba gets more chances to further separate from Eskridge and every other Seahawks wide receiver for the primary slot, third-receiver job.
He appears to have already won it.
“He’s so impressive,” Smith said. “Very smooth route runner. Natural hands. Also, the game is not too big for him. You can see he’s got that self-confidence that you look for.
“So, really, Jaxon has been tremendous so far, and I’m just looking forward to see him grow and grow as the weeks come about.”
Smith-Njigba said he already feels a connection with Smith. The 11th-year veteran quarterback, 32, is 11 years older than his rookie wide receiver.
“It’s been good. It’s been good. It’s been real good,” Smith-Njigba said of meshing with Smith.
“Just getting comfortable. It’s all about reps. ...It’s been going great so far. Got a little connection going, so hopefully we can continue that.”
Smith-Njigba went home to Texas during the six-week break the players had between the last organized team activities (OTAs) and the start of training. He returned to the Seattle area early, before this week, so he could begin his first NFL training camp with a running start.
“Just try to stay on track,” he said.
After long weeks of waiting, Smith-Njigba is on track to make a splash with Smith and the Seahawks in this training camp.
“I think we did it the right way,” he said. “I appreciate the coaching staff and the training staff for doing that. It had been a long time since I’ve really been out there. ....
“I appreciate them slowing bringing me up. I feel like now we are all ready to go, and checked a lot of boxes.”
Alton Robinson waived
Seattle waived outside linebacker Alton Robinson, cornerback James Campbell and cornerback Isaiah Dunn as players reported for training camp Tuesday.
The Seahawks signed nose tackle Roderick Perry II.
Robinson was productive as a rookie fifth-round pick by Seattle out of Syracuse in 2020, and again in 2021. But coaches played him just 34% and 31% of snaps those seasons. Injuries derailed the 25-year old last season.
The Seahawks signed second-round pick Zach Charbonnet to his rookie contract.
As of Tuesday night, top rookie fifth-overall draft pick Devon Witherspoon was the only one of Seattle’s 10 choices from May not signed.
Not yet.
Andrew Whitaker signs
Seattle reportedly signed cornerback Andrew Whitaker.
The former track national champion and cornerback at Division-III Washington University in St. Louis has a master’s degree. His bachelor’s degree is in mechanical bioengineering. He plans to attend medical school — someday.
Whitaker played in the XFL this spring. He was in Seattle’s rookie minicamp in May.
This story was originally published July 26, 2023 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Seahawks were cautious in spring with Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Now he’s set for a summer splash."
