NASHVILLE—Back when Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Devon Witherspoon were rookies, the two first-round picks built a close bond off the field while battling on the field.

And while it was Witherspoon garnering more attention and earning Pro-Bowl honors as a rookie, he knew the Seahawks also had a very special player in his fellow first-round pick.

Smith-Njigba by no means had a bad rookie season, but as the third receiver behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett at the time, he was not usually the pass catcher featured in Seattle's offense. A year later, that began to change with Smith-Njigba catching 100 passes for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns on his way to his first Pro-Bowl selection, and now, in his third season, Smith-Njigba has fully established himself as on the game's truly elite players.

Smith-Njigba, who came into the weekend as the league's leading receiver by a large margin, added to that lead with another big game to help the Seahawks to a 30-24 win over the Titans. Smith-Njigba, who had eight catches for 167 yards and two touchdowns, including a 63-yard score on his first catch of the game, is now up to 1,313 yards this season, breaking DK Metcalf's single-season franchise record of 1,303 set in 2020. With six games left in the regular season, Smith-Njigba won't just add to that team record, he's also on pace to threaten Calvin Johnson's NFL single-season record of 1,964 receiving yards, set in 2012.

"I already knew he was going to be capable of doing stuff like this," Witherspoon said after Smith-Njigba was the star of another Seahawks victory. "I mean, it's just hard to guard him, bro. When he gets open, he's just so efficient in what he does and then he's got a like a great catch radius. So I'm just a fan watching just like y'all when he's out there, man."

"I'm so happy, because like I said, I remember a lot of people were saying stuff our rookie year, like he didn't put up the numbers and stuff, and I'm like, 'Bro, trust you don't know what we got over here.' And then now he's just able to shine a light on it. He's just doing his thing right now, man. Shout out to my brother. Keep doing your thing, man."

For Smith-Njigba, breaking the record was meaningful, but it's something he views as a shared accomplishment with the teammates who help him do what he's doing this season.

"It means a lot," Smith-Njigba said. "This organization, great organization. Great receivers have come through here. Honestly, I look at it as a team award quite honestly because without Sam (Darnold) and without the protection, without Sheed (Rashid Shaheed) and Coop (Kupp), this doesn't happen. So, I'm grateful and thankful and blessed for my team. Blessed to be a Seahawk."

Kupp, who joined the Seahawks this season after eight seasons with the Rams, had a similar season in 2021 to what Smith-Njigba is experiencing now, catching 145 passes for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns. And having himself put up huge receiving numbers, what impresses Kupp the most about Smith-Njigba's big season is his efficiency. So far this season, Smith-Njigba has been averaging 4.6 yards per route run, per NFL Next Gen Stats, the top mark in the league this season by more than a yard (Puka Nacua, 3.5), and the best by a player in a single season dating back 2016 when Next Gen stats began tracking that number.

"He's done an incredible job making the most of his opportunities," Kupp said. "Over and over again, there's been games where we're not throwing the ball a ton. But every opportunity he has to make a play, he's doing it. That's hard to do in this league. Everyone knows the passing game is obviously going to be going through him and he just continues to make plays. It's pretty impressive to watch."

After Smith-Njigba's eighth 100-yard game this season—another franchise record—Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald gave his star receiver a game ball in the locker room, later noting that could be a weekly occurrence the way Smith-Njigba has played this year.

"I'm happy for JSN," Macdonald said. "He's doing an incredible job, brings it every day, and he's a great teammate, which is awesome. So you're really happy for him."

"Honestly, he probably could get (a game ball) every game. What is this, eight games with 100-plus? Yeah, he's a tremendous football player."

Said quarterback Sam Darnold, "It's unbelievable, man. Just the way that he's been able to play this year, every single game. It's tough to be that consistent. But I think it starts with his attitude and his prep that he puts in throughout the week. So no surprise whatsoever. But yeah, he's a really good player. And again, I think the guys that we have to complement a guy like Jax, starting with the running backs, the tight ends and the other receivers. There are other guys on the field that the defense has to pay attention to, and I think that can only help him out."

One of the players who helps Darnold and Smith-Njigba make their big plays is left tackle Charles Cross, who couldn't help but smile when hearing JSN's name come up in a postgame interview.

"The way he's been playing has been immaculate," Cross said. "When he catches the ball, what he does with the ball in his hands is exceptional."

And on the sideline, Witherspoon isn't the only defensive player watching Smith-Njigba put on a show.

"Man, it's always amazing," outside linebacker Derick Hall said. "JSN is always open. He does the work, he's a leader, he's a great guy, so just to be able to see him catch bombs the way he does, it's just second nature now. We know it's going to happen. Dude's always open, we love to watch him."

"The dude's consistent, he does the work, he lets the game come to him. He's just overall a great player. On defense, we're just fans, we know every time the ball goes deep, 'there's JSN.' Man, it's amazing to see the year he's having, we're happy for him."