Andrew Hawkins Says JSN Belongs in the Same Tier as Jefferson and Chase. Here’s Why.

The hype train for Jaxon Smith-Njigba was already running at full speed. Then Andrew Hawkins hopped on board and grabbed the microphone.

The former Bengals and Browns wide receiver turned ESPN analyst went on a bit of a rant about the Seahawks’ third-year star, and it wasn’t the usual preseason flattery. Hawkins basically said JSN is on the same level as Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. Yeah, those guys.

“When you talk about JSN, and I think for a lot of people that watch him, because it might not look the way that you’re typically used to seeing the No. 1 wide receiver in the league operate, but everything he does is, like Mike T says, at a high level. And I would even go as far as to say, I’m okay with if he is number one, putting them up there with Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. Again, it’s different, but his versatility is vast,” Hawkins said on ESPN.

From Slot Guy to League Leader

Smith-Njigba came out of Ohio State with a reputation as a slot specialist. The kind of player who’d catch 90 balls a year but never really scare defenses deep. That narrative got torched in 2025.

He put up 1,793 receiving yards and won AP Offensive Player of the Year. ESPN’s annual survey of executives, coaches and scouts ranked him as the third-best wide receiver in football, behind only Chase and Jefferson. Not bad company.

What made it even more impressive? He did most of his damage lined up outside. Hawkins pointed out that JSN took 80 percent of his snaps on the perimeter and still led the league in receiving. That’s not something a one-trick slot guy does.

The Sam Darnold Factor

Here’s the part that might make Seahawks fans nervous and excited at the same time. Smith-Njigba did all of this playing with Sam Darnold for the first time. And Hawkins thinks that’s actually the most telling part of the story.

“Nobody would have been pointing at JSN had he not had the year that he did on the outside with Sam Darnold as his quarterback in their first year together. He is absolutely lights out. I think the 40-time the 4.48 and watch how smooth he is, how much of a technician he is, how much of a feel he has. It’s a lot less identifiable to the naked eye, so people don’t understand just how great JSN really is,” Hawkins said.

Darnold is back. Brian Fleury is calling the offense now instead of Klint Kubiak. But the pieces are still in place. If JSN can replicate even 85 percent of what he did last season, he’ll keep Darnold in the MVP conversation and the Seahawks in the Super Bowl picture.

That’s the kind of pressure that usually crushes young receivers. Hawkins seems to think JSN is built for it. Different build than Jefferson or Chase, but the results are starting to look the same.