5 NY Giants first-round targets who stood out at the NFL Combine

3. Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Prior to the injury he sustained this past season, Jaxon Smith-Njigba was considered the best receiver in the draft by far. However, due to the aforementioned injury, he has begun to slip down draft boards to the point where he could very well be drafted by the Giants at No. 25.

While Smith-Njigba didn’t have a perfect Combine, some of the traits he showed off in certain drills have us very excited to see what he does in the NFL. Unfortunately, Smith-Njigba didn’t participate in the 40-yard dash, however, he ran a 6.57 three cone drill, and a 3.93 20-yard shuttle, both of which ranked first amongst all participating receivers.

In his last healthy season, Smith-Njigba caught 95 passes for 1,595 yards and nine touchdowns while also racking up a ridiculous 90 percent contested catch rate. While Smith-Njigba may be a slot receiver, there is nothing wrong with that – we have seen how dominant slot players can be and the impacts they can have for their offense.

With how poor the Giants receiving core was last season, bringing in Smith-Njigba could turn this offense into a much better unit than it currently is. The elite route running and hands Smith-Njigba provides is likely the best in his class. He may not be the most dynamic receiver in the open field, but when you’re so good at everything else, it’s not that big of a deal.