Geno Smith sprayed the ball all over the field during his New York Jets debut, connecting with eight different receivers on his 19 total completions.
However, throughout the outing, he developed an interesting tendency with the Jets’ top two WRs: Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell.
Smith’s usage of Wilson and Mitchell
According to NFL Pro, Smith completed eight of his nine passes (88.9%) to WRs aligned out wide for 133 yards. That accounts for nearly half of his total completions, and over 60% of his total yards.
Wilson caught five of those for 73 yards, and Mitchell reeled in three of them for 60 yards, equating to a total of eight receptions and 133 yards for the two WRs when lined up out wide.
That’s not even the fascinating part, though. What’s interesting is that Wilson caught all four of his targets on in-breaking routes for 69 yards, and Mitchell caught both of his passes on out-breakers for 58 yards.
As Wilson revealed over the summer, he is planning to play much more as a boundary receiver under Frank Reich this season compared to last year, when he had been more slot-heavy.
Mitchell, on the other hand, profiles as the Jets’ ideal starting boundary receiver due to his separation ability and prowess as a serious threat. His ceiling is tantalizing, and we got a look at that on Sunday as he had a 40-yard deep reception from Smith.
The early returns suggest the Jets may have found a productive way for the two receivers to complement each other.
Wilson did most of his damage breaking toward the middle of the field, where his route-running ability becomes difficult for the opposing defenses to contain. Meanwhile, Mitchell’s success on the outside allows the Jets to attack toward the boundary.
That could become a key element of the Jets’ passing attack. Wilson is going to command plenty of attention, so if Mitchell can consistently win his one-on-one matchups on the outside, Smith will be in a solid position to make plays.
The good news is that the Jets shouldn’t need to worry about Smith’s accuracy. He’s ranked in the league’s top 10 for completion percentage in three of his past four seasons and the top 12 in each of the past four years, including eighth last season.
Overall, the talent is there for Mitchell and Wilson to become a fierce WR duo. Wilson has established himself as a highly productive piece despite dealing with a carousel of QB play. Mitchell, on the other hand, has flashed the tools, but not yet the consistent production.
It will be interesting to monitor Smith’s usage of his boundary receiver pairing throughout the season.
