NY Jets film session: Does Arian Smith have a future?

As far as fourth-round picks go, Arian Smith was quite a polarizing choice when the New York Jets took him 110th overall in 2025.

Smith carried multiple red flags that made him a risky prospect even by the standards of a fourth-rounder. A five-year college player, Smith was already set to be 24 years old when his rookie year started. Yet, he failed to catch 10 passes in a season until his fifth college campaign, and even then, he still led Power Four receivers with 10 drops.

The ceiling, though, was high, which the Jets used to justify the pick despite the concerns. Smith offered 4.36 speed and a route-running profile that suggested he could become a high-level deep threat in the NFL.

Smith’s rookie year with the Jets is best described as uneventful. He played in 16 games, but saw just 16 targets, catching seven of them for 52 yards and zero touchdowns. He also saw limited reps on special teams (58 snaps).

Quietly, Smith played 376 offensive snaps throughout his rookie season, representing 38% of available snaps in those games. However, because Smith was targeted so infrequently, it was difficult for many Jets fans to get a read on his development.

But through a deep dive into Smith’s film, we can get an idea of exactly what he was doing on those 376 snaps, whether he was targeted or not.

Was Smith showing positive signs as a route-runner and not being targeted, or did he earn his lack of targets through poor route-running? How was his run blocking? What about his general football IQ?

In the latest edition of Blewett’s Blitz, we answer all of those questions in a film breakdown of Smith’s 2025 season.

Below is the full Arian Smith film review.