Jaxon Smith-Njigba Talks NFL Draft, Ohio State, Call of Duty, More in B/R Interview

There is no shortage of talented wide receivers in the 2023 NFL draft, so Jaxon Smith-Njigba isn't putting too much emphasis on being the first player picked at his position.

But he also knows he should be.

"It's not the number one most important thing on my list or anything like that," he told Bleacher Report. "I hope I end up at a good spot with a team that has its sights on winning the Super Bowl. If one of those receivers goes before me, it is what it is. But I definitely think I should be the first one off the board. Just looking at the film and looking at the statistics and what I've done and what I produced, I think it speaks for itself."

Depending on your mock draft of choice, Smith-Njigba is either the top receiver or behind one or two from a similar list of names.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see multiple first-rounders between Smith-Njigba, USC's Jordan Addison, Boston College's Zay Jones, Tennessee's Jalin Hyatt and TCU's Quentin Johnston. It also isn't hard to find a landing spot for the Ohio State product.

Perhaps the Houston Texans will keep him and Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud together with the Nos. 2 and 12 picks in the draft. Or maybe the Chicago Bears will pair him back up with Justin Fields, who was the first quarterback he caught passes from at the collegiate level. The Green Bay Packers also might jump at the chance to add a dynamic pass-catcher to help usher in the Jordan Love era.

For his part, Smith-Njigba is ready to roll wherever he ends up.

"I'm from Dallas, so the Cowboys would be cool," he said. "But any team that I go to would be an honor. I'm just ready to get up on that level and compete against the best wherever I end up."

He has the skill set to compete and thrive against the best.

Smith-Njigba is a game-changer from the slot with the ability to track deep balls, come down with contested catches and find openings underneath as a precise route-runner. While he doesn't have top-end speed, he can separate with that precision and serve as something of a weapon against the zone.

"I just like to be a reliable target that the QB is comfortable with and knows is going to get the job done," he said. "That's how I see my role wherever I'm at. Just a guy who can produce and make the most of the opportunities."

Produce he did at Ohio State.

He arrived with plenty of expectations as a 5-star prospect in the class of 2020, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and took off in his second season even while playing in an offense that featured future NFL notables Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson.

Smith-Njigba posted 95 catches for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns in that season with multiple standout performances. He posted 15 catches for 240 yards against Nebraska and then torched Utah in the Rose Bowl with 15 catches for 347 yards and three touchdowns with Olave and Wilson sitting out.

"The Rose Bowl is something I'll never forget," he said of the dramatic 48-45 win. "Definitely my best game, just an up-and-down game. To come away with the win, I was very hyped."

That set the expectations for 2022 when he was the No. 1 option, but he suffered a hamstring injury in the opener against Notre Dame and reaggravated it during multiple comeback attempts, including in a win over Iowa. He played just three games all year and was unable to take the field during the College Football Playoff.

Still, there figures to be enough on tape from the previous year to convince NFL teams to take him in the first round.

It also doesn't hurt that he stood out in a crowded wide receiver room with Olave and Wilson, who both went over 1,000 receiving yards as rookies. Wilson, who was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2022, even told reporters when they were teammates that "Jaxon is as good as I've ever seen, probably the best I've ever seen."

NFL success is nothing new for Buckeyes wide receivers.

Michael Thomas and Terry McLaurin were established stars before Olave and Wilson even arrived, and Curtis Samuel, Parris Campbell and Noah Brown are all solid secondary contributors. Throw in expectations that are already in place for likely 2024 first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr., and Ohio State wide receivers coach Brian Hartline is doing something right.

"Just sitting in that room, going to practice every day with those guys and competing with those guys and against those guys just brought the best out of me," Smith-Njigba said. "I'm definitely grateful to be in a room like that and sit next to those guys. It was an honor."

He also said he has used Call of Duty to bond with teammates like that throughout his football career dating back when he started playing the video game in elementary school.

It was only natural, then, that he partnered with the game to take part in an NFL draft competition with his fellow incoming rookies. Those rookies are officially on notice, too.

"My skills are great," Smith-Njigba said. "I put a lot of work into it, and I'm much better than I was a month ago. It's scary for these guys out here."

There's no word yet on whether NFL teams will use his video-game skills to evaluate whether they should take him early in the first round, but they will surely be pleased to hear what he would consider a successful rookie season on the field.

"Whatever our team goals are," he said. "Whatever team I'm on and their team goals, just accomplishing that. Whether that's getting to the playoffs or that's winning the Super Bowl or division, whatever that is. Me contributing to whatever the team goals are."

Goals like that will be much easier to accomplish for whatever team has Smith-Njigba running routes out of the slot.