Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald expects Jaxon Smith-Njigba to be a “massive piece” of the team's offense in 2024.
There are days when even the brightest stars at wide receiver might struggle to catch seven total passes in live team reps during a given practice.
If any resentment exists between former Michigan defensive coordinator turned Seattle first-year head coach Mike Macdonald and Smith-Njigba, it sure didn’t show through when Macdonald gave his thoughts on the pass-catcher. Macdonald’s year with the Wolverines overlapped with Smith-Njigba’s lone season starting at Ohio State that wasn’t derailed by injury, 2021, with UM taking down the Buckeyes 42-27.
A hamstring injury on Smith-Njigba’s first series of 2022 tanked his entire junior campaign, as he played in only a few games and caught five passes for 43 yards. He declared for the 2023 NFL draft and went 20th overall to Seattle in the first round. “I always felt comfortable being on the outside,” Smith-Njigba said. “I feel like it’s more of a one-on-one matchup, and I love one-on-one matchups. Being on the inside, there’s some one-on-one matchups, a lot of zone and reading the defense and sitting in the zone, which I feel like I’m pretty good at. But when it’s one-on-one or being on the outside, it’s more playground a little bit and that’s what I like. I like the challenge.
Metcalf and Lockett are also bank to flank Smith-Njigba at receiver. Metcalf recorded his third career 1,000-yard season in 2023 with eight touchdowns, while Lockett barely missed his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard campaign with 79 receptions for 894 yards and five scores. Physical training and learning Grubb’s system are Smith-Njigba’s top priorities this offseason as he prepares for an expanded role in 2024.
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