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Jaxon Smith-Njigba posts official 40-yard dash time at Ohio State Pro Day
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Jaxon Smith-Njigba put off running the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. On Wednesday, he finally put a number on record for the host of NFL teams in attendance for Ohio State’s Pro Day.
While at the NFL Combine, Smith-Njigba did impress during any of the positional drills despite opting not to run the 40-yard dash. His time on Wednesday was announced as a 4.48-second per Ohio State while NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported NFL scouts in attendance had Smith-Njigba between 4.48-4.52 seconds.
According to OSU, Jaxon Smith-Njigba ran a 4.48 in the 40.That’s the time Ryan Day quoted as well. That’s plenty fast enough for JSN. Safety Tanner McAlister, who wasn’t invited to the NFL combine, posted a 4.44, which will help him. CB Cam Brown had a 4.53.
— Bill Rabinowitz 🗞 (@brdispatch) March 22, 2023
Ohio State first-round WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba recently ran the 40 at his Pro Day and according to the watches of several scouts, the range was from 4.48-4.52. Fast.
(Also, watch it all live on NFL+.)
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 22, 2023
Impact on Smith-Njigba’s stock
That time from Smith-Njigba should not do anything to hurt his case to be among the top wide receivers selected in the 2023 NFL Draft. At this point in the process, teams were most likely interested in simply seeing Smith-Njigba run while trying to gauge his overall health.
While Smith-Njigba was limited for the majority of the 2022 season, his 2021 campaign is one of the best seasons for a college wide receiver in recent history. He should still be looked at as a first-round pick and will still be in contention to be the top WR off the board.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.