Welcome to the 12th daily installment of the NFL Draft 1-through-32 series on DK Pittsburgh Sports, intended to introduce you, a prospect at a time, to the top 32 players in the class on a consensus basis, leading right up to the main event.
That, of course, will be April 27-29, in Kansas City, Mo., though all 32 teams, including the Steelers on the South Side, will operate from their local headquarters.
NO. 12: JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA
Ohio State wide receiver
Smith-Njigba is the No. 12-rated player on Pro Football Focus' big board. The younger brother of Pirates outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba, Jaxon possesses desirable route-running ability and ball skills which make him stand out as the best pass catcher in the draft.
COLLEGE BACKGROUND
Smith-Njigba was limited to just two games in 2022 because of a hamstring injury sustained in Week 2 against Notre Dame. He had megastar potential after breaking Ohio State receiving records in 2021 -- yes, that means usurping the likes of David Boston, Cris Carter, Michael Jenkins, Santonio Holmes, Chris Olave, and 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson.
In 2021, Smith-Njigba established single-season Ohio State receiving records in receptions (95) and receiving yards (1,606) while catching nine touchdowns -- all while sharing the field with Olave and Wilson, which were first-round picks in last year's draft. His receiving yards total broke a 20-year-old Big Ten record, which was held by Wisconsin's Lee Evans with his 1,545 yards in 2001.
He had an earth-shattering performance in the 2022 Rose Bowl Game on New Year's Day. He caught 15 passes for an all-time bowl game record 347 yards and three touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 48-45 win over Utah. That receiving total set an Ohio State single-game record, it was the second-most for a game in Big Ten history, and it was the fifth-highest total in NCAA Division I history.
He was a third-team All-American in 2021.
The Rockwall, Texas, native was a consensus five-star recruit and was rated as the No. 29 overall player and the No. 5 wide receiver in the class of 2020 by 247Sports. Measuring out of high school at 6-foot-1, 188 pounds, Smith-Njigba chose Ohio State among 20 offers. He ran a 4.59-second 40-yard dash in high school and earned an NFL comparison to former Falcons receiver Roddy White at the time.
NFL COMBINE, PRO DAY
He bulked up slightly as measured at the NFL Combine, at 6-foot-1, 196 pounds. His athleticism score checked in at 89, fourth among Combine receivers, and his total score of 84 checked as the fifth-best among Combine receivers.
At the Combine, he did not run the 40, but he jumped to a 35-inch vertical and a 10-foot-5 broad jump, neither of which burst off the page among the receivers tested. He made his money at the combine by pacing all receivers in the three-cone drill (6.57 seconds) and the 20-yard shuttle run (3.93 seconds).
He earned an NFL comparison by analyst Lance Zierlein to veteran Jarvis Landry.
At his pro day, Smith-Njigba ran a 4.48-second 40-yard dash, which would have tied with North Carolina's Josh Downs for the 20th-fastest among receivers at the Combine but was right on pace with his reported goal of a 4.47.
“I definitely felt like I could have ran better,” Smith-Njigba told reporters. “But I told myself I was gonna run one, ran one, and I'm pleased with what I did. I'm happy I get the walk off the field healthy.”
MOCK DRAFT
The USA Today mock draft consensus tracker has Smith-Njigba going at No. 16 overall to Washington, with an average draft slotting at 18.67. Our own latest mock draft has Smith-Njigba going to Tennessee at No. 11.
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE STEELERS' STANDPOINT
The checklist for needs for the Steelers surely includes wide receiver, but whether Smith-Njigba will be there at 17 is to be determined. It will be a close call, and if the Steelers feel they really want him and they feel Washington could scoop him at 16, then a trade up could be in play. He would surely fit in as the technician to compliment Diontae Johnson and George Pickens well.
COREY'S TAKE
How cool would it be for both of the Smith-Njigba brothers to have the opportunity to pay pro ball in Pittsburgh?
Jaxon is not the most athletically gifted receiver in this draft, but his route running and his hands stand out as the best among the class. Ohio State and now-offensive coordinator Brian Hartline literally just pump quality receivers out to the NFL. It's all they know how to do. Smith-Njigba is just the next in line as the best possession receiver bar none in this draft.
THE REST
You can view the rest of our 1-through-32 NFL Draft stories below.
1. Alabama QB Bryce Young
2. Georgia DT Jalen Carter
3. Alabama DE Will Anderson Jr.
4. Kentucky QB Will Levis
5. Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud
6. Florida QB Anthony Richardson
7. Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon
8. Texas Tech DE Tyree Wilson
9. TCU WR Quentin Johnston
10. Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez
11. Northwestern OT Peter Skoronski
