The Seattle Seahawks didn't wait long to fill the places of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, both of whom are with new teams for the first time in their careers. Cooper Kupp, who was born and raised in Washington state, returned home this offseason to join forces with Jaxon Smith-Njigba as the Seahawks' top pass-catchers.
Kupp spent eight seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, earning a triple crown in 2021 and winning a Super Bowl with the team that same year. Since being drafted in 2017, Kupp has played with numerous other quality wide receivers. So far, Smith-Njigba's strength and competitiveness has impressed Kupp the most.
"The first thing that struck me was … he plays a lot stronger and is a lot stronger than I think people know about Jaxon," Kupp said during an interview on Good Morning Football on Monday. "There’s a play strength that comes along with that, being able to be on the field. His decisiveness … his belief in himself and what he can do, and then being able to go out there and be able to make it happen, [he’s] incredibly competitive."
In their short time working together this offseason, Kupp is already finding the similarities between Seattle's Smith-Njigba and the Rams' other superstar wide receiver, Puka Nacua. Both players were drafted in 2023, but Nacua was selected 157 picks (fifth round) after Smith-Njigba (first round). Nacua instantly broke out with an NFL record 1,486 receiving yards as a rookie, while it took the Seattle wideout a year to surpass the 1,000-yard mark.
"The competitiveness to just say ‘I just know I’m not going to lose, I’m going to find a way to win,’ Jaxon has that, similar to what Puka [Nacua] was like coming in as well," Kupp said. "The competitiveness and the play strength are both very similar. So, really excited about being out there with Jax. He’s an awesome dude, wants to get better, he asks all the right questions and … he’s striving to find ways to find an edge, and it’s going to be a lot of fun playing with him this year."
Despite missing six games over his first two seasons, Nacua has outpaced Smith-Njigba thus far in raw production. Nacua has 184 catches for 2,476 yards and nine touchdowns. Smith-Njigba has logged 163 catches for 1,758 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Metcalf and Lockett combined for 2,008 receiving yards during Smith-Njigba's rookie season, which limited him to just 63 catches (93 targets) for 628 yards. Nacua, however, benefited from being the Rams' only reliable pass-catcher in 2023 with Kupp missing five games. Opportunities and targets matter.
Still, Kupp's approval is emblematic of Smith-Njigba's rise. He and Nacua are two of the best receivers to come out of the 2023 draft class, and Smith-Njigba now has a chance to learn from a veteran star like Kupp.
