Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba not 1 or 2 on ESPN WR rankings despite 1,793 yards, Super Bowl win

It is not outlandish to claim that Seattle Seahawks star Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the best wide receiver in the NFL. After all, he led the league in receiving yards last season, was named Offensive Player of the Year, and helped the Seahawks win the Super Bowl for the first time in a decade.

Smith-Njigba will look to build on his stellar campaign, especially since the Seahawks will have huge targets on their backs.

With Kenneth Walker III joining the Kansas City Chiefs, JSN will play an even bigger role, which could lead to higher numbers, further cementing his status as the NFL’s top wide receiver.

ESPN, however, did not view Smith-Njigba as the league’s No. 1 wideout in its annual rankings, placing him at No. 3 instead. ESPN quoted an anonymous coordinator in assessing JSN.

“He reminds me so much of Cooper Kupp’s tremendous performance in 2021, only JSN is better on the outside than him. Love his game. Relentless. Smooth. Competitor. He’s not the elite outside player those top guys are,” said the unnamed source.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler added: “That was a common refrain from voters: When game-planning, Smith-Njigba doesn’t strike fear in coaches like some others do. But he aligned out wide on more than 80% of his snaps last season, producing a league-high 10.9 yards per target in the process with a stellar 0.6% drop rate.”

ESPN ranked Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 1 and Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings at No. 2. The Bengals and the Vikings did not qualify for the playoffs last season.

The 24-year-old Smith-Njigba, meanwhile, helped the Seahawks to the best record in the NFC. He tallied 1,793 receiving yards, accounting for 44% of the team’s total, according to Fowler.

The two-time Pro Bowler is one of only four players to lead the NFL in receiving yards and win the Super Bowl in the same year, joining Kupp (2021), Jerry Rice (1989 and 1994), and Drew Pearson (1977).

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