He transferred to Lakeland HS as a senior, playing WR and setting the stage for his slow start (freshman redshiirt), then rapid rise at Georgia.
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein states that Smith “is the fastest player on the field. If a cornerback presses him and misses, he’d better have safety help because Smith averaged 36.5 yards on his 10 career touchdown receptions. He lacks play strength to finish catches when contested and his hands are unreliable, which could lead to NFL quarterbacks losing confidence in him. He could be a tantalizing option for teams looking to take a chance on his speed late in the draft, but his ball skills are unlikely to improve enough for him to become a long-term option.
The Jets took Smith with their own selection in Round 4. This draft marks the first time since 2016 that the Jets have used their own first four picks of a draft to take players rather than trading one or more of those picks.
Smith is the 13th Georgia player taken by the Jets and the first since LB Jordan Jenkins (Round 3, No. 83) in 2016. Probably the most famous Bulldog selected by the Jets is LB Mo Lewis (1991, Round 3), who went on to start 199 games and make 3 Pro Bowls. Other Bulldogs tabbed by the Jets include QB Matt Robinson (1977, Round 9) and DT Jason Ferguson (1997, Round 7).
The Jets have had good results with fourth-round selections in the recent past. Since 2000 in that round they have selected WR Jerricho Cotchery (2004), S Kerry Rhodes (2005), WR Brad Smith and RB Leon Washington (2006), Joe McKnight (2010) and Bilal Powell (2011). DL Micheal Clemons (’22) and RB Braelon Allen (’24) are among the Round 4 players on the current roster.
The Jets have used the No. 110 pick in a draft only once, to take Oklahoma LB Gary Baccus in 1974. Baccus never played a game as a pro.