COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Seattle Seahawks selected Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba with the 20th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft Thursday night.
Smith-Njigba was slated to the Buckeyes' top wide receiver during the 2022 season, but suffered a hamstring injury during the opener against Notre Dame and never fully recovered.
The junior from Rockwall, Texas, set school records in 2021 for receptions (95) and receiving yards (1,606). His yardage total broke a 20-year-old Big Ten Conference record.
Smith-Njigba set an all-time bowl game record with 347 receiving yards in the 2022 Rose Bowl win over Utah. He also broke the Rose Bowl record with 15 receptions and tied the game record with three touchdowns.
Despite not playing most of last season, Smith-Njigba was always slated to go in the first round, thanks to his smooth route running and ability to track passes through the air.