For rookie WR Arian Smith, the goal for his first NFL season is simple.

“Just making plays,” Smith said. “Being more consistent with the ball in my hands, and when the ball comes my way, making a play when it’s in the air.”

The 2025 fourth-round draft pick has flashed his potential throughout the summer, making a series of impressive plays during training camp — including hauling in a 60-plus yard pass from QB Justin Fields with two-time All-Pro CB Sauce Gardner in coverage.

“He’s caught the ball well,” wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson said. “He’s made some plays in practice, everything like that. When the rookies come in, there’s an acclimation process and everything like that. And he’s figuring it out. But what I’ve seen so far, I like. We’ve just got to continue on that path.”

The Georgia product is no stranger to making big plays in important moments under bright lights, having done so on several occasions in college. And yet, arriving at Lambeau Field in Green Bay for Week 1 of preseason competition was a moment he found hard to put into words.

“My first game — it definitely felt surreal being out there in an NFL stadium setting,” he said.

The 6-0, 179-pound receiver got his first taste of competing at the next level — playing 51 percent of the team’s offensive snaps and recording 2 two catches for 18 yards against Green Bay. He more than doubled his total receiving yards in the Jets’ second preseason game, logging 39 yards and hauling in a 23-yard pass during the second quarter. In his preseason finale, Smith took a handoff and exploded up the left sideline for a 10-yard gain and a first down on the team’s second possession.

Coming in with a notable reputation as a speedster, the former track and field star has met — and even exceeded — expectations.

“I like his speed. Period,” OC Tanner Engstrand said. “To, I guess go further on it, he’s just done everything that we’ve asked him to do. He’s a smart kid. He’s working his butt off. He’s taking to the technique, and he’s just developing in all those areas. So, we’re really excited about where he’s at.”

This development may be due, in part, to the open-minded approach Smith has every time he steps on the field. The young receiver said his focus is on “trying to be a sponge” and “soak up any little nuggets or tips I can from the older guys and follow in their footsteps.”

“Being a rookie, there’s a lot of stuff to learn, a lot of stuff to adjust to,” Smith said. “But I’ve been enjoying it — every second of it. Learning from the older guys and just asking them questions I have. Leaning on them for anything I need.”