Jaxon Smith-Njigba updates his 'nagging' injury, explains decision to skip 40-yard dash

Thanks to an hamstring injury, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has not stepped on a football field in pads on a game day in a long time. That won’t be changing again until hopefully the fall but the Ohio State product is back competing.

Smith-Njigba, who played in only three games this fall after a breakout sophomore season in 2021, is participating at the 2023 NFL Combine in Indianapolis this weekend. He said at his media press conference that he is finally healthy again.

“I’m 100% and I feel good,” Smith-Njigba said. “I’m ready to go out here and attack and show my skill set.”

One of those skill sets he will not display, however, is his straight-line speed as Smith-Njigba will not participate in the 40 yard dash.

He said that he just hasn’t had the prep time to be in a position to run the 40 at the level he can perform at.

But he did say he would do the drill at Ohio State’s Pro Day, which is set for March 22.

I would say that I was 100% maybe like two weeks ago, just trying to take things very slowly so I can close this book on this nagging hamstring,” Smith-Njigba said. “Just wanting to take it slow. so we could close the book, which I feel like I have. But just haven’t had enough reps in the 40 just yet. So, Pro Day you’ll see.”

Fully recovered from his injury, Jaxon Smith-Njigba looking to silence doubters

Jaxon Smith-Njigba is still projected as a first round pick but missing most of the 2022 season did nothing to help improve his standing in the NFL world.

Lettermen Row’s Spencer Holbrook wrote ahead of the NFL Combine that this will be the first opportunity for Smith-Njigba to remind coaches, general managers, staffers and more about what type of talent he can provide.

“But those hamstring injuries that kept him out of all but three games a year ago have him slip-sliding down some draft boards ahead of the combine. He can put all of those concerns to bed with a stellar pre-draft process,” Holbrook wrote

Smith-Njigba is expected to be ready for everything NFL teams will want to see from him in the coming weeks leading into the draft. He opted to begin preparing for the draft early since he couldn’t return for the Peach Bowl, giving him a head start on what he needs to prove. Chief among all of the concerns: he needs to show NFL teams that the injuries are in the rearview mirror and that he can terrorize NFL secondaries from Day One.