Ohio State Football: JSN should help himself in Indy

The Ohio State football team has many players in Indy for the NFL Scouting Combine, including Jaxon Smith-Njigba who needs a strong showing.

The last time we saw a completely healthy Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the Ohio State football team was in the Rose Bowl of 2022. In that game, JSN shattered all sorts of records catching 15 balls for 347 yards and three touchdowns. Those are video game numbers, not real-life numbers. A truly remarkable performance.

We as Ohio State fans were robbed of that Smith-Njigba in 2022. Playing in less than 70 snaps because of a bum hamstring, it would have been a sight to see JSN line up with what Marvin Harrison Jr. has become and a vastly improved Emeka Egbuka. It would have been a scary sight for defenses and could have been the difference between a Peach Bowl birth and a national title.

But JSN was indeed injured for the season. Scouts and NFL talent evaluators alike want to see a healthy version of Smith-Njigba in Indianapolis this week at the Combine. If JSN can run a decent 40 time and have strong performances in individual drills, JSN can secure his spot as the next Ohio State first-round receiver. If he falls below expectations then his lack of size could lead to a slide in the draft.

I would expect JSN to shine though. From what we’ve seen in Columbus, he runs exceptional routes and has some of the best hands to ever wear the Scarlet and Gray. Maybe his 40 time won’t wow anyone, but I don’t think his speed has ever done that. He just knows how to get open and allude would-be tacklers.

A good showing in Indy would do wonders for JSN’s draft stock. He needs to prove that he’s fully healthy following that hamstring injury. But as long he proves he’s healthy, look for Smith-Njigba to become a top-20 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.