Jaxon Smith-Njigba already sounds like a Cowboys WR
Jaxon Smith-Njigba already has the trademark of a star Cowboys wideout: swagger.
"I think I'm a top-five player in this draft, not just a top five WR," the Ohio State receiver said in a Friday news conference at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Smith-Njigba is from Rockwall, Texas, 30 minutes from Dallas, and is a Cowboys fan. He recently said Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens was his "guy" growing up. T.O. played for Dallas from 2006-08.
Smith-Njigba told the media his meeting with the Cowboys at the combine went well.
Dallas EVP Stephen Jones recently told ESPN's Todd Archer that it's "probably fair" to admit the Cowboys didn't find a replacement for star Amari Cooper. After trading the Pro Bowl WR to Cleveland, Dallas fell from second in passing yards in 2021 to 14th last season.
Could Smith-Njigba fill that void left by Cooper?
During his sophomore season at Ohio State in 2021, Smith-Njigba set school records for receptions (95) and receiving yards (1,606). In a 48-45 win in the Rose Bowl that season, he set a game record for receiving yards (347).
In 2022, he battled a nagging hamstring injury and only played in three games. Per NFL Network's James Palmer, Smith-Njigba won't run the 40-yard dash at the combine.
Fox Sports analyst Rob Rang pegs Smith-Njigba as the sixth-best WR in the draft, but it could be hard for Dallas to ignore his upside, confidence and hometown connection. It might not be a stretch for the Cowboys to pick him in the first round with the 26th overall selection.
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