Three Seattle Seahawks made the Pro Bowl, either as initial nods or as replacements. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and cornerback Devon Witherspoon were among that group, but continue to be left off other top player rankings.
Despite leading the NFL in nearly every slot-receiving category, Smith-Njigba did not land on the Pro Football Focus top 101 list for the 2024 season after replacing Washington Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin at the Pro Bowl. Witherspoon didn't either, even though he earned a primary nod.
Smith-Njigba finished 12th in the league in receiving yards (1,130) and tied Tyler Lockett's franchise record for catches in a season (100). His numbers in the slot were unrivaled across the league, including piling up 993 of his receiving yards when lining up there pre-snap.
Fourteen receivers made the list over Smith-Njigba, with Baltimore Ravens receiver Zay Flowers being the lowest-ranked at the position (95th). Flowers totaled 74 catches for 1,059 yards and four touchdowns in 2024.
Witherspoon wasn't statistically spectacular this season, but he was the heart and soul of Seattle's defense energy-wise. He was also one of the best run-stuffing cornerbacks in the league, posting 90 combined tackles — the second-most among corners this season. The Seahawks' defense would look much different without Witherspoon's enforcement in the slot.
PFF named 10 other cornerbacks to the top 101 list, while Witherspoon was one of eight players at the position to be named to the Pro Bowl.
Even though Smith-Njigba and Witherspoon were snubbed, the Seahawks had three players named to PFF's rankings: safety Julian Love (No. 101), left tackle Charles Cross (No. 89) and defensive lineman Leonard Williams (No. 44).
Williams was the only one who made the Pro Bowl and PFF's rankings. Neither Pro Bowl voting nor advanced metrics are a perfect ranking system, but it is curious to see how each system ranks players in certain positions.
Regardless, Smith-Njigba and Witherspoon have already asserted themselves as two of the brightest young stars in the NFL.
