Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s first run onto the NFL Top 100 came with a bang.
The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver checked in at No. 5 on Monday, a huge debut for a player whose stock has shot up fast. For the former first-round pick out of Ohio State, it’s another major marker in a career that already keeps collecting them.
There’s plenty to justify the placement based on his 2025 season. Smith-Njigba was named AP Offensive Player of the Year, earned first-team All-Pro honors and made his second Pro Bowl. He also played a central role in Seattle’s championship run, helping the Seahawks beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX in February.
The Seahawks have been talking about this kind of ascent for a while. Earlier in the offseason, head coach Mike Macdonald made it clear how the organization views Smith-Njigba after the receiver signed his contract extension this spring.
“He's a foundational piece, he's a cornerstone of our team. Just being able to see his growth over the two years that we've been here,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said after Smith-Njigba signed his contract extension this spring.
“I mean, the sky's the limit. This is the beginning.
This is another iteration of our football team, and Jax is obviously going to be a huge part of it and where we want to go and where we want to take our team, and I know it's early in his career, but he's already a leader on our team and will be for a long time. So we're really excited.”
Cornerback Devon Witherspoon also praised what Smith-Njigba brings to the field, pointing to the details that make him so difficult to cover.
“The way he runs routes is so elusive, and it's hard to get a tell on what he's about to do,” said cornerback Devon Witherspoon. “He's able to create separation, he runs routes fluently, efficiently.
The way he can track the ball in the air is one of none. He can do everything.
No. 5 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026…@Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba! @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/cttIMrAnWn
— NFL (@NFL) August 31, 2026
He can run any route, he makes contested catches. He's going to have a big year again this year.
I'm waiting to see that too.”
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