While everyone’s buzzing about DeVonta Smith’s big opportunity with A.J. Brown gone from Philly, the *real* eye-opener is a stat that screams good news for our very own Seahawks: Jaxon Smith-Njigba is already showing he’s one of the league’s most efficient threats out wide.
Philly’s WR Shakeup And Our Guy JSN
Look, DeVonta Smith has always been a dependable fantasy starter, pulling in at least 3.5 receptions and 50 receiving yards per game his whole career. He’s been a top 30 wide receiver in fantasy points per game for four straight seasons, even being the second option behind A.J. Brown. PFF gave him an 89.4 career grade, slotting him 20th among receivers over the last five years. Solid, right? Smith has consistently graded between a 78.0 and 84.0 each season, putting him in the range of a great, but not elite, receiver. But here’s the kicker for us in the Emerald City. Smith’s grades in the slot have actually gone down over time, but he absolutely leveled up out wide last season. He pulled an 89.9 PFF receiving grade and a 25.3% target rate there in 2025. And get this: his 2.95 yards per route run when lined up out wide last season was tied for third-best in the league. You know who else was in that elite company? Puka Nacua and our very own **Jaxon Smith-Njigba**.
Smith’s Big Leap Means JSN’s Already There
Now, with the Eagles trading away A.J. Brown and losing Jahan Dotson in free agency, while bringing in Makai Lemon, Hollywood Brown, and Dontayvion Wicks, it’s clear Smith is about to take on a massive role. Lemon’s primarily a slot guy, and both Brown and Wicks have played inside at times in their careers, meaning Smith’s shifting even more out wide. That 20.5% career target rate, which was tied for third-lowest among those top 20 receivers, is absolutely going to jump. Fantasy Points data since 2022 shows that in games without A.J. Brown, Smith was the WR8 in yards per route run, WR6 in targets per route run, and WR4 in expected fantasy points per route run. He’s got a shot to be an alpha for Philly. But here’s the beauty of it for Seattle: Jaxon Smith-Njigba was *already* putting up those top-tier, out-wide numbers. While Smith is about to get his chance, JSN was showing that elite efficiency last year, period.
There’s a lot of noise coming out of Philadelphia right now, whether it’s the Eagles’ wide receiver room getting a shakeup or the absolute bombshell of LeBron James joining the 76ers. That city is buzzing. But for us, the important takeaway is what it means for our Hawks. Knowing Jaxon Smith-Njigba is already performing at an elite level out wide, putting up numbers alongside the best in the game? That’s what really matters. Get ready, 12s. JSN is set to be a beast, and his early numbers prove it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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