Jaxon Smith-Njigba's New Team Heavily Impacts Fantasy Value?

The Seahawks drafted Jaxon Smith-Njigba (JSN) with the 20th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Between being the first wide receiver drafted and his healthy college production, enormous expectations were placed on JSN. He joined a wide receiver core led by veterans DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. JSN was given the slot role, running 69% of his routes from the slot. That was the 8th highest percentage of any wide receiver with at least 70 targets.

The slot wide receiver's role in the NFL has evolved over the years, and the production from that position has increased. However, that is not the case in former Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron's system. As a rookie, JSN saw a low snap share and limited route tree last year. He had just a 64% snap share on the season compared to Metcalf at 84% and Lockett at 80%. JSN was 67th in the league in targets of 20+ yards, 81st in targets between 10-19 yards, and 2nd in targets behind the line of scrimmage.

This will not be the case in Ryan Grubb's system, the new Offensive Coordinator. Grubb spent the last two years at the University of Washington. He was the offensive coordinator in 2023 and helped lead the Huskies to a national championship appearance. Grubb often had at least three wide receivers on the field; four different wide receivers ran over 40% of their routes from the slot, and three of those four receivers had an average depth of target of 10+ yards.

For reference, JSN's aDOT was just 6.4 yards last year. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is currently going off the board at pick 9.01 on average. That would make him WR45. Last year, JSN finished as WR48. Even if he does not surpass Tyler Lockett this year, he should easily outperform his ADP in Grubbs' new system.

His floor will increase with the additional routes he runs, and his ceiling gives him the potential to be one of the best values in fantasy. Lockett will play at 32 years old this season, while JSN will be just 22. In Grubb's modern system, the younger, more explosive athlete could quickly leapfrog him on the depth chart and see higher-value targets from both the slot and out wide.

Our consensus projections for Smith-Njigba in the 2024 season would be: 84 receptions, 931 yards, 6 touchdowns through the air and 0 carries for 0 yards and 0 rushing touchdowns.

Stainless Steel Tumbler

Buy Now

Read More NFL News From Stadium Rant Here: NFL News

EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS: 

Order your favorite whiskey or spirit for the big game right to your doorstep and use code STADIUMRANT10 for a 10% discount at Caskers

Use code STADIUMRANT20 for a 20% discount at Bulletproof Coffee, SwingJuice and Performix. 

If you love to shotgun beers, use code STADIUMRANT10 at Wild Man Drinking Company.

MORE FROM STADIUM RANT:

If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to our newsletter here. Check out Stadium Rant Original shows on our Youtube channel and subscribe! Give our socials Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok a follow for more great content!