The Week 5 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers is already being called the most important game of the season so far, and if you’re making a list of the top ten players between these two squads, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is absolutely on it. It turns out, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan had JSN on his radar for a brief moment back in 2021, but a freshman wide receiver wasn’t exactly what he was looking for at the time. Oh, how things change, huh? Shanahan’s now recalling that first glimpse of our guy, and it’s clear he didn’t quite grasp what he was seeing.
Shanahan’s “Who the Hell is That Kid?” Moment
Shanahan recounted this story during his Friday press conference, digging into the archives to 2021 when the 49ers were doing their homework on quarterback prospects. Remember that year? The Niners famously traded away three first-round picks and more to snag the No. 3 spot in the 2021 NFL Draft, eventually picking Trey Lance. They were also checking out Justin Fields as a “distant possibility,” which is what led Shanahan to Ohio State’s Pro Day. He described it as a “long workout,” and what he saw next completely threw him off his QB-focused game plan.
“I just remember that it was a long workout and there was a freshman running all over the place,” Shanahan admitted. That freshman, of course, was Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Shanahan was so captivated, he ended up asking John Lynch, “Who the hell is that kid?” Lynch’s response? “Oh, it’s some freshman.” And just like that, JSN’s name slipped from Shanahan’s mind. A freshman wasn’t declaring for the draft, and Shanahan was hyper-focused on picking a quarterback from what they thought was a loaded class. “We got his name and I had forgot the name at the time, like I usually do,” Shanahan said. Crazy to think he just… forgot!
The Draft That Got Away For San Francisco
Fast forward to the 2023 NFL Draft, when our Jaxon Smith-Njigba officially entered the league. By this point, the 49ers were in a tough spot. They didn’t have a first-round pick in 2023 because of that 2021 Lance trade. And it wasn’t until the third round, with the 87th overall pick, that they finally selected someone, taking safety Ji’Ayir Brown. Their next pick was Jake Moody, also in the third round, making that draft infamously known as the “Jake Moody Draft” for them. So, even if Shanahan had remembered JSN’s name and been obsessed with him, there was little he could do to actually “snag” him.
It just goes to show you how quickly things can change in the league. Lynch eventually reminded Shanahan who Smith-Njigba was again, and this time, the coach didn’t forget. “He was just running around everywhere, catching everything, and that was extremely impressive,” Shanahan concluded. Yeah, no kidding! We see that every Sunday at Lumen Field. Get ready for Week 5, folks. Our guy JSN is about to show Shanahan exactly what he missed out on, live and in person.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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