New York Jets Rookie Named Draft-Day Steal After OTAs
New York Jets Rookie Named Draft-Day Steal After OTAs originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The New York Jets may have found something in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Jets selected Georgia wideout Arian Smith, who has been the talk of the town at Jets OTAs.
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New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn has given high praise to his rookie wideout.
"Arian has some juice, don't he?" Glenn said. "He can run and he's bouncy. He's a really good athlete. I thought the first day he went out there and was really focused on making sure that [he] sees through the ball to bring it in."
Smith could be the right fit to pair alongside star receiver Garrett Wilson is he continues to impress the coaching staff. Smith's standout trait is his speed, posting a 4.36 40-time at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.
Smith wasn't just a football player for the Bulldogs. The former four-star football recruit committed to Georgia as a two-sport athlete, running track and field on top of his responsibility on the gridiron.
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Smith was a first-team All-American selection for track and field in 2021, with his specialty being the 100-meter dash. Smith retired from track and field in 2023, and received a much bigger role in Georgia's offense the following season, leading the team with 817 receiving yards in 2024, while also adding four touchdowns.
Smith's performance at OTAs and his physical traits have led to high praise from not just the coaching staff, but also the press. Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski tabbed Smith as the draft-day steal at wide receiver after OTAs, high praise for a Day-3 pick.
"Raw speed is so tantalizing, because it can be weaponized to tilt the field in the oense's favor. Defenses must take stock of a real speedster on every down and consistently defend all three levels." Sobleski wrote. "Smith has that caliber of speed. He needs to show throughout the summer that he can make the plays available to him. If he does, the Jets will have the type of weapon that should play well with an athletic quarterback in Justin Fields since the defense must account for him running at all times."
Related: Jets Among Biggest Winners of June 1 Cap Update
Related: Jets Urged to Sign Pro Bowl Receiver
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
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