Star Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba entered the season as the consensus top returning receiver in the nation and was considered by many to be the No. 1 receiver in the 2023 NFL Draft. But a couple of games into the 2022 college football season, one NFL Draft analyst doesn’t even think he’s the best wide receiver prospect on his own team.
According to NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic, Marvin Harrison Jr. – the son of NFL Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison – would be the top receiver in the 2022 NFL Draft class if he were eligible for the draft this season.
Marvin Harrison Jr. today: 7 catches, 184 yards, 3 TDs
Would be WR1 in this draft class if eligible. https://t.co/cVMDXbuQmL
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) September 10, 2022
“Marvin Harrison Jr. today: 7 catches, 184 yards, 3 TDs,” Brugler Tweeted. “Would be WR1 in this draft class if eligible.”
By labeling Harrison WR1, that puts him above every other receiver in the class – including Smith-Njigba.
Brugler’s analysis comes after Harrison put on a show during Ohio State’s blowout win over Arkansas State over the weekend. Harrison had seven catches for 184 yards and three touchdowns, giving him six touchdowns in his last three games after another three-touchdown game in the Rose Bowl against Utah to end last season.
Smith-Njigba, meanwhile, has been sidelined most of this season after suffering an injury during the first series of Ohio State’s win over Notre Dame. He missed the majority of the game against the Irish and was held out as a precaution against Arkansas State.
While it might be a little premature to put Harrison ahead just yet after Smith-Njigba rewrote Ohio State’s record books last year, the fact is that once Smith-Njigba returns from injury, the Buckeyes will have arguably the two best receivers in the country.
