The New York Jets’ tight end room is wide open.
The presumptive starter is a second-round rookie, Mason Taylor. One of the top candidates to win the TE2 role is a fourth-year player who has yet to score an NFL touchdown, Jeremy Ruckert. Even a fullback could end up being the Jets’ quasi-TE2.
That leaves a golden opportunity for a 26-year-old player who was starting at quarterback as recently as his third college season: Stone Smartt.
A former quarterback for Northern Arizona, Riverside City, and Old Dominion, Smartt converted to tight end in his fifth college season. He went undrafted after catching 17 passes in eight games, but he caught on with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he gradually improved across three seasons.
Across three seasons in Los Angeles, Smartt improved his reception and receiving yardage totals each year. He posted career-highs of 16 receptions and 208 yards in 2024, doing it with just 19 targets. Smartt averaged 10.9 yards per target and produced a first down on 58% of his targets.
Late in the 2024 season, Smartt was called upon to play a larger role due to an injury to starting tight end Will Dissly. Over a 2.5-game stretch, Smartt caught 11 of his 12 targets for 141 yards.
After showing upside in limited reps during the 2024 season, is Smartt a legitimate contender to make the Jets’ roster? How big of a role could he earn in the passing game? Does he have the blocking chops to last at tight end?
Only the film can answer those questions.
Below is Blewett’s Blitz’s full Stone Smartt scouting report (strengths and weaknesses) and film review.
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