When the New York Jets drafted Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith with the 110th pick in the NFL draft last season, it was met with plenty of criticism from fans and pundits alike. Having dropped ten balls during his final collegiate season, many viewed Smith as a late day three pick or perhaps even as an undrafted free agent. The Jets disagreed, and took him in the fourth round.
While expectations were universally low for Smith, he managed to come up well short of what the worst prognosticators expected. He would catch just seven passes for 52 yards on the season. And while it’s often foolish to assume a fourth round pick is on the hot seat after just one year, that may be the case with Smith.
Since drafting Smith, the Jets have also added AD Mitchell and first-round pick Omar Cooper Jr. If we assume last year’s team MVP Isaiah Williams is a lock to make the roster, that’s a total of four receivers before Smith is even a consideration. If Smith can’t do a better job of holding on to the football, winning that fifth receiver spot won’t be easy.
If we went solely on how each player looked in preseason last year, it would be fair to say that undrafted free agent wide receiver Jamaal Pritchett was more impressive than Smith. A shifty slot receiver type, Pritchett showed the type of agility and acceleration that could make him a threat if given an opportunity.
We didn’t hear a whole lot about Smith during OTAs or minicamp, meaning training camp and preseason will be his next shot to open some eyes and find his way to an impactful role in 2026.
