Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the talk of the NFL. The Seattle Seahawks’ third-year receiver is on pace for 2,000 yards receiving, which would be the NFL record, and is establishing himself as the premier wide receiver in football.
Now, Smith-Njigba is also establishing himself as a boogeyman of sorts for opposing defensive backs. He is averaging an astounding 119.4 yards per game. That would place Smith-Njigba fifth all-time for a single season, and one spot behind Calvin Johnson, who averaged 122.8 yards per game in his record-breaking season in 2012.
Smith-Njigba knows nobody can cover him right now, and he can also sense defenders don’t know how to.
Sensing Fear
Whenever Sam Darnold throws the ball up, Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s way, he can have some solace in the fact that more often than not, Smith-Njigba is at an advantage.
Darnold not only knows this, but so does Smith-Njigba as well. When the ball is in the air, Smith-Njigba can sense the panic of defensive backs as they try to locate the football. The superstar wide receiver discussed this after the Seahawks’ 30-24 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, noting that on his 63-yard touchdown reception, Smith-Njigba made Titans safety Amani Hooker fall to the ground with his elite ball-tracking abilities. Seahawks.com provides the transcript of Smith-Njigba’s answer.
“Yeah, sometimes. And that, in that play specifically, he was kind of on my side. DBs, I would say I have better ball tracking skills than a lot of DBs and I can kind of feel their tenseness and freaking out when the ball is in the air. So, just staying relaxed, staying calm. Me and Dareke (Young) and Coach Frizz (Frisman Jackson), we work on drills like that all the time, every single day. So you know, just bringing it to life.”
Smith-Njigba’s emergence had made life easier for everyone in Seattle, most of all Sam Darnold.
JSN’s Body Control
Jaxon Smith-Njigba has showcased his entire skill set this season, but one that particularly stands out to quarterback Sam Darnold is Smith-Njigba’s body control.
In John Boyle of Seahawks.com’s November 24 article, he wrote about Darnold and how impressed he has been with how Smith-Njigba can catch any ball in his radius. That ability has led Smith-Njigba to a league-leading 13 deep receptions for 542 yards, to go along with a league-leading four touchdowns.
“His body control is second to none,” Darnold said when asked about Smith-Njigba’s ability to make plays on deep throws. “He can really go up no matter if the ball is overthrown, I feel like he has the talent and the speed to speed up and catch it. Or if it’s underthrown, he has the ability to put the defender in a tough position and kind of box him out, and get the ball and not only catch the ball, but also try to score with it as well.”
Now, Smith-Njigba will face another test against Brian Flores and the Minnesota Vikings with their 11th-ranked defense when the Seahawks attempt to defend their home turf at Lumen Field on Sunday.
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