Mina Kimes compares Ohio State draft prospect to all-time Patriots great

Mina Kimes compares former Ohio State star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba to New England Patriots all-time great Julian Edelman.

ESPN’s Mina Kimes thinks former Ohio State star Jaxon Smith-Njigba can be the next Julian Edelman in the New England Patriots receiving corps.

New England and drafting wide receivers have gone together like lamb and tuna fish for quite some time. The last time the Patriots drafted a guy who turned out to be something special at the position, it was the former JUCO standout and converted Kent State quarterback himself. Edelman thrived in the slot while catching passes from Tom Brady and playing alongside Rob Gronkowski.

Kimes likens Smith-Njigba to what Edelman did in the Patriots offense for years. In theory, he fits into what Bill O’Brien will probably want to do schematically. Although Smith-Njigba is not a downfield threat, he is an infinitely better prospect coming out of Ohio State than was the former MAC quarterback who the Patriots took a flier on in the seventh round well over a decade ago.

The Patriots have the No. 14 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and could look at adding a wide receiver.

Mina Kimes compares Jaxon Smith-Njigba to Julian Edelman with the Patriots

Smith-Njigba projects as the first wide receiver taken in the upcoming draft. He should be coming off the board around where the Patriots are picking. Although he could fall to them at No. 14, he could go as high as No. 8 to the Atlanta Falcons, possibly two spots ahead of New England to the Houston Texans at No. 12, a pick they received from the Cleveland Browns for Deshaun Watson.

I think Smith-Njigba has the talent to overcome whatever Bill Belichick does to limit his wide receivers on the reg, but the idea of him may be better than the real thing. I will never forget his unforgettable performance over Utah in the Rose Bowl, but that came after Ohio State’s No. 1 and No. 2 receivers opted out of the game to enter the NFL Draft in Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson.

That Rose Bowl was unforgettable, but Smith-Njigba’s last season in Columbus was a frustrating one. He got hurt in the home opener vs. Notre Dame, as his stellar college career went out with a whimper. The Buckeyes leaned on Marvin Harrison Jr. the rest of the way, as they nearly beat Georgia in Atlanta in the Peach Bowl. Too bad Smith-Njigba decided he was not going to play then.

From a talent standpoint, I love Smith-Njigba’s twitchiness and ability to get open in the short-to-medium passing game. His skill set will afford him opportunities to make plays as a professional. While he is the type of player that fits in nicely into what O’Brien will want to do offensively, it is New England, who are one awful season away from pivoting off Mac Jones and into irrelevancy.

I do have durability concerns about Smith-Njigba, as well as him emerging as a No. 1 option in an NFL receiving corps. Yes, I would love to be proven wrong, but where he lands matters. While there is a chance that his talent can overcome New England’s growing offensive dysfunction, I do prefer for him to go to a place with an offensive-minded head coach who could get the most out of him.

Ultimately, Smith-Njigba has a phenomenal opportunity to be a better player than even New England Super Bowl hero Julian Edelman because of his undeniable talent. However, he is not going to be a panacea for what ails the Patriots these days. Sure, he can have great success there, but I do not really see them using the No. 14 pick on a wide receiver they will just put in the slot.

It is not a bad comparison by Kimes, but New England is football Siberia for wide receiver talents.