The New York Jets drafted Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Arian Smith in the fourth round in the 2025 NFL draft. The Jets have taken a chance on the speedster, who has blazing 4.3 speed but past drops issues.
Smith came into a situation where he can carve out a significant amount of playing time. The Jets just signed Justin Fields, who they hope will become their franchise quarterback, to a three-year deal. Now, they need to find someone to pair with star wide receiver Garrett Wilson.
Bleacher Report has already named Smith a draft steal because of his play throughout training camp. He has been outplaying his draft position.
The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt said some encouraging things about the fourth-round draft pick.
“Stood out, making plays against starters and backups,” Rosenblatt said about Smith during camp while working to stymie his drop issue. “If he keeps trending in the right direction, he should soon become a dangerous field-stretching weapon for New York’s new quarterback.”
He caught two out of three targets for 18 yards in his first preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. Smith drew a team-high three targets. He most notable play came on a deep pass that his quarterback overthrew. Smith had ample separation but could not catch up to the pass. If Smith can continue his positive trajectory expect him to be a solid contributor on the New York Jets. At the very least, New York will utilize him as a deep threat.
He projects as a depth receiver for the Jets behind Wilson, Allen Lazard, Tyler Johnson and Josh Reynolds, but there’s no doubt Smith offers more juice than every other Jets receiver outside of Wilson and maybe Lazard.