Every draft has a few picks that raise eyebrows — not because of what the player is, but what they could become.
New York Jets fans were mostly thrilled with the 2025 draft haul, but when the team took Georgia’s Arian Smith in the fourth round, some wondered if they reached too early.
But the Jets didn’t flinch. They saw something worth betting on. And with Justin Fields under center, Smith’s role could become far more important than expected.
A blend of elite traits and glaring flaws
Smith wrapped up his final season at Georgia with 801 receiving yards and four touchdowns, catching two-thirds of his targets.
He played nearly 80% of his snaps outside and about 20% from the slot, offering the kind of flexibility modern offenses need.
But the concerns are obvious.
Smith dropped 10 passes last year — a glaring issue that must improve if he wants to earn trust quickly.
Despite that, his athletic profile pushed him into rare territory. Few prospects test like this.
Athleticism that jumps off the page
Smith ran a 4.36 in the 40-yard dash and clocked a 1.57 split over 10 yards — numbers that scream explosiveness.
He also ranked in the top 10% of all draft-eligible players in Relative Athletic Score (RAS), a metric that evaluates size, speed, and movement.
Only 14 players in the entire class earned a RAS above the 90th percentile. Smith was one of them.
That’s not just speed — that’s elite, field-tilting athleticism that defenses must respect.
More than a wide receiver — a scheme weapon
Smith isn’t just a deep threat. He’s a piece of the puzzle that can be used in creative ways.
Expect the Jets to get him involved on jet sweeps, motion routes, screens, and anything that gets him into space quickly.
With Fields taking over, the offense is shifting toward movement, speed, and deception — a major departure from the Aaron Rodgers blueprint.
Smith fits that vision.
He’s not a volume pass-catcher right now. But he’s the kind of chess piece who can flip field position or stretch the defense in a blink.
A long-term project with immediate upside
The Jets may have taken Smith earlier than some projected, but it wasn’t without a plan.
They aren’t just drafting receivers. They’re drafting tools for a new kind of offense.
Smith will need to prove he can clean up the drops and run crisper routes. But if he does, his physical gifts give him a chance to be special.
Every year, one mid-round pick surprises the league. Don’t be shocked if Arian Smith is that guy in green and white.
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