If you were to ask 100 Ravens fans which position needs to be addressed most in the draft, odds are the majority of them would mention wide receiver as their top choice.
The team may draft a few wideouts in this coming draft without necessarily taking one with their first selection. It all depends on what the scouts think of this current class. My take: this group of receivers is good. It’s not deep, per se, but there’s enough depth to where the Ravens can take a stud corner or edge rusher in Round 1 and address the wide receiver room with multiple ensuing picks.
Last week, we profiled Jordan Addison (USC, Pittsburgh) as a player who could potentially be on the board at No. 22 and be a system fit in Baltimore. Addison represents a lot of what the Ravens are looking for—talent, production, and consistency.
At the end of the day, if I had to pick one player at any position for the Ravens to pick this April, it would unquestionably be Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. This young man is an absolute stud and would immediately inject Baltimore’s offense with dynamic production and opposing defenses with cause for concern.
As a freshman in 2020, Smith-Njigba had very limited reps. In 2021, he burst onto the scene. Even amongst an elite wide receiver room (Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson), Smith-Njigba was able to rack up 95 receptions for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns. His legendary Rose Bowl performance (15 receptions, 347 yards, 3 touchdowns) solidified his draft stock, more than a year before he was even eligible. Last season, his playing time was significantly limited due to injury. That could end up being a blessing, in that it could cause his stock to fall just enough to where the Ravens are in play.
In terms of specific traits, there’s a lot to like with Smith-Njigba. He has good size (6’0 1/2”, 196 pounds) and excellent speed (the only wide receiver at the combine with a sub-4 second 20-yard shuttle: 3.93 seconds).
On film, he’s all over the place (in a good way). The first thing that jumps out at me is his ability to uncover. How many times have Ravens fans bemoaned the fact that receivers don’t get open? Smith-Njigba absolutely does not have that problem. He’s smooth in and out of his breaks, too, controlling his momentum and keeping defenders guessing. Even after the catch, his subtle movements give the defender very little surface area to aim for, thus, greatly increasing his yards after the catch.
The next part of his game that’s impactful is his catching ability. Obviously, that’s vital when talking about receivers, but he’s a comfortable hands catcher. In other words, it doesn’t look like he has to labor to bring the ball in. He can move and run and locate the ball without having to strain. That is a very sought-after skill in NFL circles, as pro defenses shrink passing windows much more than college players are used to.
He can uncover and he’s a smooth hands-catcher. The third key point of Smith-Njigba’s game is his competitive spirit. To be the Texas 6A player of the year (like he was in 2019), you can’t be timid. To get to Ohio State, play, and even feature, you have to be an absolute dawg. To be a successful pro wideout, you have to be the total package, and that’s exactly what Smith-Njigba is.
Does he fit on the Ravens? Strictly from a scheme standpoint, I say yes. Smith-Njigba was primarily used as a slot receiver in 10 and 11 personnel (4 and 3 WRs). With Mark Andrews and J.K. Dobbins on the field, along with the quarterback and five offensive lineman, which leaves three wideouts. Drafting Smith-Njigba could complete a potential trio with Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay. He doesn’t have to be aligned in bunch sets, but I didn’t often see him by himself on one half of the field.
He checks every box in terms of route diversity. Short, intermediate deep, vertical, crossing, flats. He does it all. He’s what the Ravens are looking for. Will he be available, though, when Baltimore is on the clock? Let’s take a look.
Assuming the teams currently ahead of the Ravens stay ahead of them, I see four places where Smith-Njigba could be taken: Tennessee at 11, Houston at 12, Tampa Bay at 19, or Seattle at 20. Both Houston (2nd) and Seattle (5th) have multiple first round picks but won’t likely use their Top 5 selections on a wide receiver. Tennessee hasn’t gotten the return they’d hoped for out of Treylon Burks (2022 1st round choice), but they have many needs, so again they may not go wide receiver with such a high pick. Houston at 12 is my biggest concern, as they’ll likely want to draft an elite wide receiver to pair with their presumptive quarterback selection at No. 2 overall. That could be Smith-Njigba, but it could be Addison, Quentin Johnston (TCU), or even Jaylin Hyatt (Tennessee). That just leaves Tampa Bay at 19 and Seattle at 20, but something tells me they will opt to choose the top offensive lineman at that point instead of a wide receiver.
Even if Smith-Njigba doesn’t last past 20, that’s very much in the range for the Ravens to trade up for him without substantially altering the rest of their draft.
All in all, I’d put Baltimore’s chances of landing the Buckeyes stud at 45 percent. They may opt for an offensive tackle, pass rusher, or lockdown corner—none of which would be a bad move. However, whenever I think about close draft decisions, I think: which move helps you win your division? Last year, I was in favor of the David Ojabo choice, as the AFC North boasts the best division of running backs (Nick Chubb, Najee Harris, Joe Mixon). Ojabo, if healthy, would’ve help to set the edge and contain those very talented backs.
This time around, look at the emergence of young receivers in the rest of the AFC North. The emergence of Chase, Higgins, and Boyd in Cincinnati—how that trio helped the Bengals take a real shot at a 2nd-consecutive Super Bowl. Pittsburgh won’t be down for long as George Pickens is a very tough matchup. Amari Cooper and Donovan People-Jones in Cleveland aren’t ones to take lightly, either.
If the Ravens want to compete this year, they need to score points. Their defense will be good. Their special teams will be great. They need to score. For my money, no player in this draft is better suited for Baltimore’s first pick than Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Born in Baltimore, Mike had long been drawn to sports of all kinds. Growing up watching Cal Ripken play ever day gave him a great example for which to attack every endeavor he undertakes.
When the Ravens came to town, though, that’s when Mike found his passion. Since that time, he’s tried to gain every bit of knowledge he could. Now as a high school coach, Mike is able to take his film study and appreciation of the game to a new level.
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