Former Jets GM Joe Douglas couldn't have been more wrong about Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Thanks for nothing, Joe.

Charlie Baduini

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Heading into the 2023 NFL Draft, the New York Jets were picking 15th overall, moving back two spots with the Green Bay Packers thanks to the Aaron Rodgers trade just a few weeks earlier.

Offensive line seemed like a big need, but the Pittsburgh Steelers had just selected Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones, thanks to the New England Patriots graciously trading with them.

Wide receiver was another area where the Jets needed some talent, and there were plenty of intriguing prospects to choose from, including future Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

However, the Jets felt like the Ohio State Buckeye wasn't good enough for them, and instead decided to use the draft pick on Iowa State's Will McDonald. The edge rusher is a solid player, but it's fair to wonder what could have been if general manager Joe Douglas were just a little better at his job.

Jets brass felt Jaxon Smith-Njigba was too injury prone, slow to draft in 2023

ESPN's Rich Cimini shared a draft story on the most recent episode of his podcast, Jets Collective, and it was regarding the decision-making process leading into the 2023 NFL Draft.

"In 2023, the Jets were looking for a wide receiver to pair with Garrett Wilson...I was checking in with some people at the Jets & that old regime. I go, "What about this guy?" He’s like, "Eh, you know he’s slow on the stopwatch, he’s a slot receiver, & he has a hamstring injury. Why would we take that guy?" That guy turned out to be Jaxon Smith-Njigba."
Rich Cimini

Douglas and his hand-picked decision makers in the Jets front office clearly weren't the best talent evaluators. There was an incredibly large contingent of fans who wanted New York to grab another pass catcher from Ohio State.

Imagine a world where the Jets have both Wilson and Smith-Njigba in the same offense? They certainly wouldn't have had to trade for Davante Adams midseason in 2024, and the current front office would have one less hole to fill this offseason.

In all fairness to Smith-Njigba, the Jets' decision not to draft him is probably the greatest thing that happened to his career. He wouldn't have won the OPOY award or the Super Bowl in New York.

And without those accolades, it's safe to say he wouldn't have gotten the four-year, $168.6 million contract extension he signed at the end of March.

Everything worked out for the best for Smith-Njigba, but of course, the Jets are on the short end of the stick when it's all said and done.

Charlie Baduini

Charlie Baduini covers the New York Jets as a site expert for The Jet Press and FanSided. He is a sports journalist based in Northern New Jersey with a wide variety of sports reporting experience in print and broadcast journalism. Baduini’s byline can also be seen on Heavy and The Sporting News, where he covers several teams across the NFL and NBA. His work has been featured in Heavy, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, Yahoo Sports, MSN, and Yardbarker. He also serves as a seasonal intern for ESPN, working as a production assistant for the Heisman Trophy Ceremony every year since 2022. Baduini has been a Jets fan for as long as he can remember, with his family's fandom dating back to the 1960s when his grandfather, Louis, became a season ticket holder. His family has since held on to the tickets to this day. He is an avid fan of the New York Knicks and New York Mets.