New York Jets' Fourth-Round Pick An Early Standout at OTAs

The New York Jets are going to need somebody to step up at wide receiver to pair up with Garrett Wilson. After releasing Davante Adams this offseason, who signed a two-year, $44 million deal with the Los Angeles Rams, the Jets don't have a clear No. 2 on the roster. 

New York has a few veteran options who could pick up the slack, including the incumbent Allen Lazard and free agent pickups Josh Reynolds and Tyler Johnson. 

But, it's been a rookie who has impressed the most at OTAs: fourth-round pick Arian Smith. 

Smith, 23, was a four-star recruit coming out of high school, and committed to the University of Georgia as a two-sport athlete, playing football and running track.

Smith was a first-team All-American for track and field in 2021, showcasing his lightning-fast speed in the 100-meter dash. Smith retired from track and field in 2023, choosing to focus on football.

In 2024, Smith had a career year on the gridiron. Smith hauled in 48 catches for a team-leading 817 yards. Smith also took in four touchdowns and averaged a staggering 17.0 yards per reception.

Smith has been an early standout in OTAs, and has drawn attention from all over the Jets' beat.

"It is clear, though, that the Jets may have something in the Georgia product," Jets analyst Nick Faria wrote. "He has consistently gotten open during practices open to the media, and has looked far better at catching the football than in college."

On top of Smith's potential use on offense, Jets' special teams coordinator Chris Banjo also spoke about utilizing Smith on special teams as a returner.

“Some guys, people don’t even know they have returner capabilities,” Banjo said. “We were fortunate enough to draft Arian, and he’s been able to flash some things, some very, very good things.'

Smith was not used as a return man in college. Smith also had concerns going into the draft about his hands after racking up 10 drops in 2024, leading all power four receivers. However, his hands have apparently not been problematic in camp.

“I know people talk about his hands in the past, but he’s honestly shown us some great things here early on.” Banjo said. “Again, to see how natural he’s kind of been back there (as a returner), there’s some things, obviously, that he’s new to, but challenging them on a regular basis, I think is our job as coaches to make sure we try to get the best out of them."