Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Geno Smith admits he requested Seahawks draft first-round WR

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 8/4/23

The Seattle Seahawks have one of the top wide receiver tandems in the NFL in D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.

That didn’t stop quarterback Geno Smith from asking the team to take Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba with its second first-round pick in April’s draft, No. 20 overall.

"Jaxon, from Day 1, he’s just been so special. I kind of knew that…I was actually in L.A. training with one of my boys and was watching his highlights and I texted (Seahawks head coach) Pete (Carroll), 'Man we got to draft this guy,'" Smith recently told NFL Network’s Bridget Condon. “And we ended up getting him and I was so happy. Just having him as part of that wide receiver group with DK and Tyler and just being on this offense, you can tell how special he is as a player. He's really going to bring that added dimension to our team and I'm just happy that we got him."

Through a handful of practices during camp, the 21-year-old WR has made some highlight-reel catches and seemingly taken to Seattle’s offense with ease.

JSN WITH AN UNREAL ONE-HAND GRAB pic.twitter.com/IhPjbRX89p
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) July 27, 2023

Toe tapping touchdown presented by @jaxon_smith1. #GoHawks x @Boeing pic.twitter.com/aLdJ5gpSb6
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) July 31, 2023

Jaxon Smith-Njigba living in the blind spot

from @MikeDugar pic.twitter.com/bgamKeeE8m
— PreSnap (@presnapinc) August 1, 2023

Seattle is arguably the best place Smith-Njigba could have landed. Lockett turns 31 in September and is likely hitting back-end of his career, giving Smith-Njigba an opportunity to form a new one-two punch with Metcalf with no pressure to perform like a No. 1 receiver as a rookie.

Though he was limited to just three games last season after a breakout sophomore year in which he set Ohio State single-season records for receptions (95) and yards (1,606) while splitting time with two 2022 first-round picks — Garrett Wilson (No. 10 overall) and Chris Olave (No. 11 overall) — Smith-Njigba is showing no signs of rust.

His well-rounded skill set and contested-catch ability will be welcomed additions to Seattle’s offense — especially in the red zone, an area the team ranked 28th in last season. He’s a natural fit in the slot where he played 83 percent of his snaps at OSU, including 367 of his 414 snaps in 2021, which allows Metcalf and Lockett to remain on the outside.

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