Ohio State Buckeyes Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the top wide receiver on many teams’ boards heading into the 2023 NFL Draft. He could go as high as No. 9 and as low as the late teens or even early 20s, depending on how the draft shakes out. No matter where he ends up on draft night, the team that gets him is getting a good player. So, let’s look at the Jaxon Smith-Njigba scouting report to determine the three current and former stars who are the closest Jaxon Smith-Njigba player comparisons.

Smith-Njigba is a 6-foot-1, 196-pound pass catcher who spent three seasons at Ohio State. In his final season, a hamstring injury limited his production in just three games. However, in 2021, Smith-Njigba caught 95 balls for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns. He led the team in receptions and receiving yards on a squad with 2022 NF Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and next year’s top NFL draft picks, Marvin Harrison Jr.

The Jaxon Smith-Njigba scouting report is that, when healthy, he is a super smooth route runner with soft hands and enough shake to create space even against tight man-press coverage. He doesn’t have top-end speed, but he’s quick enough to get away from his defender after the catch and deliver some nice YAC (yards after catch).

The Buckeyes WR should be a Week 1 starter in the slot for whatever team takes him, with the potential to develop into one of the best high-volume possession receivers in the league. With that in mind, here are the three best Jaxon Smith-Njigba player comparisons.

3. Jarvis Landry

Coming out of LSU, the scouting report on Jarvis Landry was quite similar to the Jaxon Smith-Njigba scouting report. He was supposed to be a slot receiver with some upside, but he wasn’t the fastest or as flashy as his college teammate, Odell Beckham Jr.

What Landry has that Smith-Njigba does, too, is incredible ability as a route runner and hands that never seem to drop the ball.

Landry was a late second-round pick and went on to become a Pro Bowl No. 2 WR with the Miami Dolphins and the Cleveland Browns. If Smith-Njigba stays healthy, this should be the floor for him, a high-end No. 2 who catches 80 to 100-plus balls a season and become his quarterback’s best friend.

2. Keenan Allen

The next Jaxon Smith-Njigba player comparison is Los Angeles Chargers star Keenan Allen. The two WRs have a similar build, with Allen being only slightly bigger at 6-foot-2, 206 pounds. That extra inch and 10 pounds led scouts to believe Allen could be an outside possession receiver, which Smith-Njigba could be, too.

Allen didn’t have elite speed either, but he is a great route-runner because of his quick cuts and shake ability. That’s where you see the Keenan Allen-Jaxon Smith-Njigba player comparisons the most.

At the NFL combine, Smith-Njigba didn’t run a 40-yard dash and was in the middle of the pack in the explosion drills of the vertical and broad jump. However, he put up the best times among all receivers in the 3-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle. This shows his incredible twitchiness and lateral movement.

In the end, the Jaxon Smith-Njigba scouting report has enough similarities to Keenan Allen, where he could develop into that type of No. 1 WR. He’s never going to be Justin Jefferson or Calvin Johnson, but becoming a No. 1 like Allen is within the range of outcomes.

1. Marvin Harrison

The best-case scenario Jaxon Smith-Njigba player comparison is with Indianapolis Colts Hall of Fame wideout Marin Harrison.

Back in 1996, everyone knew Harrison was a smooth route-runner out of Syracuse, but teams took bigger, more physically impressive WRs ahead of him (Keyshawn Johnson, Terry Glenn, and Eddie Kennison) before the Colts snagged him at No. 19 in the NFL draft.

All three WRs taken ahead of Harrison had decent to good NFL careers, but with Peyton Manning throwing him the ball, Harrison became one of the best of all time. His 1,102 receptions are fifth in NFL history.

The route-running and hands Harrison displayed in his illustrious career are some of the same traits that the Ohio State wideout has coming into this draft. If Smith-Njigba hooks up with the right QB, stays healthy, gets the right WR partners, and exceeds scouts' expectations by overcoming his speed limitations, the WR who played with Harrison’s son could look a lot like the Colts legend in the NFL.

The Marvin Harrison-Jaxon Smith-Njigba player comparison is lofty, but that’s the type of pass-catcher and route-runner he could be if everything works out perfectly for him and the team who takes him in the 2023 NFL Draft.