When it comes to NFL wide receivers, no one can match the kind of output that the Ohio State pipeline has delivered to the pros in recent years.
So, it’s no surprise that one of the many former Buckeyes-turned-NFL superstars is currently the lead vote-getter for the 2026 Pro Bowl.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks is not only currently leading all wide receivers with 27,162 Pro Bowl votes as of Monday, but he’s also second overall in votes, trailing only New England Patriots’ quarterback Drake Maye (31,452) according to information provided by the league.
A first round draft pick for the Seahawks in 2023, Smith-Njigba is in the midst of his best season to date, leading the entire NFL with 1,428 yards and a 109.8 yard per game average after 14 Weeks. Seattle’s star wideout is also tops in the league in yards per target, with 11.8, and scrimmage yards per touch with 15.3, according to Pro-Football Reference.
The 2024 Pro Bowler is also tied for second place in the NFL with two other players with nine receiving touchdowns, and is fourth in catches with 89. No one in the league boasts more 20+ yard catches than his 23, nor 40+ yard catches than his eight.
Smith-Njigba’s dominant season comes off the heels of an offseason trade that saw the Seahawks ship DK Metcalf to Pittsburgh, making JSN the undisputed No. 1 target for quarterback Sam Darnold for the season. In turn, the Ohio State product has responded with a historic season that’s already seen him break the Seahawks’ single-season receiving record, with plenty of games to spare.
And, Smith-Njigba isn’t done yet with his stellar campaign. He’s currently the betting favorite to take the Offensive Player of the Year Award, with monelines ranging from -370 to -335. If he wins the prestigious honor, he would become Seattle’s first OPOY award recipient since Shaun Alexander in 2005.
However, JSN isn’t the only former Ohio State standout dominating his position in Pro Bowl votes for his conference. His former teammate Paris Johnson Jr. — picked 14 spots ahead of Smith-Njigba in the same 2023 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals — is the top offensive tackle vote-getter in the NFL. Unlike JSN thorough, this would mark Johnson very first Pro Bowl nod, if the voting trends do not change.
Other former Buckeyes placing among the Top-10 in Pro Bowl votes for their respective positions include guard Jonah Jackson of the Chicago Bears at third, rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at seventh, linebacker Jonathon Cooper of the Denver Broncos at eighth and cornerback Denzel Ward of the Cleveland Browns at ninth.
Pro Bowl voting continues through December 15th, with the Bro Bowl Games slated to be played on Tuesday, February 3rd, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco during Super Bowl LX week.