Ohio State University continues to be a significant contributor to professional football, producing several wide receivers who are now closely ranked in fantasy football discussions. Garrett Wilson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, both Ohio State alumni, are drawing attention as they enter the season with new offensive coordinators.
Garrett Wilson has been noted for his consistent performance. He has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his three NFL seasons despite working with multiple quarterbacks. Now on a long-term deal with the New York Jets, he will reunite with quarterback Justin Fields, a former college teammate. Tanner Engstrand joins as the offensive coordinator from Detroit and is expected to have a positive impact.
“Garrett Wilson just signed an extension to make him a long-term Jet. His talent is undeniable as he had found success with multiple quarterbacks of recent. I would say with confidence that Tanner Engstrand will now be his best coordinator to date. (…) In his three NFL seasons, Garrett Wilson has achieved 1,000 yards each year. This is with Zach Wilson, Mike White, Aaron Rodgers and others throwing him the ball. He now gains his old friend, Justin Fields. Fields may not be renowned for his arm, but if he will accurately feed anyone, it will be his college teammate, Garrett Wilson,” Thomas Carelli wrote.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba also had notable achievements last season after an injury sidelined another receiver on his team. He finished 2024 with more than 1,100 receiving yards and six touchdowns; over 700 of those came after Week eight.
“Following a short stint of injury by DK Metcalf, Smith-Njigba stepped into a massive workload the second half of 2024. The Ohio State product broke out in 2024 from over 1,100 yards and 6 touchdowns. Over 700 of these yards came after Week 8,” Carelli stated.
The Seattle Seahawks have brought in Klint Kubiak as offensive coordinator. Kubiak previously worked as pass game coordinator for San Francisco’s Super Bowl-appearing team in 2023 before moving on to help direct New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara’s successful season.
“The team has now added Klint Kubiak as their offensive coordinator and the renowned offensive mind of Kubiak shall do wonders. As for his recent history, Kubiak was the pass game coordinator for the 49ers Super Bowl appearing season in 2023. He then became the offensive coordinator for the Saints where he helped Alvin Kamara have a Top-10 season in 2024, thanks to his receiving ability,” Carelli said.
Both teams are expected to maintain run-focused offenses but utilize their top wide receivers heavily during games.
“I would truly say that both of these wide receivers are valued adequately in drafts. I would also say that both of these receivers are about the same skill level among NFL pass-catchers (…). If I had to pick one, it would be Garrett Wilson for the only fact that he is slightly less valued than Smith-Njigba (…). If your drafts see Smith-Njigba fall lower than Wilson, take him,” Carelli concluded.
This analysis comes amid ongoing discussion among fantasy football participants about which player offers greater value at their current average draft positions ahead of this season.
