Reporting live from Florham Park, NJ— For the better part of the last two weeks, analysts, fans, and executives around the league have questioned the New York Jets’ decision to draft Georgia receiver Arian Smith in the fourth round.
Smith had multiple injury issues in college and had more drops last season than any other receiver in the Power Four conferences. He is aware of what he has to do to improve.
Despite this, it also took only two plays at rookie minicamp to realize exactly what the Jets see in him, and what his actual ceiling could be.
Jets’ Pro Bowl Comp
There has been no better deep threat in the history of the NFL than former Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders receiver DeSean Jackson.
The former Cal star was one of the fastest receivers in the league. Despite his own struggles with drops, he carved out a very successful career as the best deep threat in the game.
While Smith won’t say he looks to emulate his game after the former Eagle, he does acknowledge the kind of impact that Jackson had at the NFL level, and he hopes to take that with him wherever he goes next.
“One of my favorite players to catch the ball down the field is (DeSean) Jackson,” Smith said. “I feel I can be as good as I want to be. As good as I work to be. If I put the work in, I’m going to be pretty good or good enough.”
Smith made two catches during the first day of rookie minicamp. The first was a curl route that he turned upfield, and gained an extra 20 yards before being touched. The next was a crossing route that saw the receiver blaze through every defensive player next to him for a would-be touchdown.
It was as if reporters were transported back in time to 2009, when Jackson was named an All-Pro as both a receiver and returner—the first time that honor had been bestowed on someone.
This isn’t to say that Smith will be the next Jackson. It’s also important to remember that the veterans are not at practice yet. Things could change drastically for the Jets and this rookie class (including Smith) in training camp.
Nonetheless, Smith’s ability to explain what he’s working on and how it can benefit the team shows his maturity.
Despite having more drops than any other top athlete in the game last year, Smith is eager to show that he will do everything in his power to help fix his drop issues moving forward.
“I’d probably say focus,” Smith said when asked what has led to the drops. “It’s not necessarily technique because there’s no special technique for catching a ball. I feel like it’s focus and me worrying about other things than catching the ball.”
The young reciever later added that it was “motivating” to see so many people criticize the Jets for drafting him when they did.
And the Bulldog is ready to prove those Jets critics wrong once and for all.
