Jets followers have been clamoring for the staff to draft a large receiver on this 12 months’s draft.
Lastly, in Spherical 4, Gang Inexperienced added a pass-catching weapon for quarterback Justin Fields.
At choose 110 total, the Jets chosen Georgia broad receiver Arian Smith, who led the staff in receiving yards a season in the past.
Smith was sitting on the sofa together with his household when the Jets known as and advised him they had been choosing him within the fourth spherical.
“I’m just feeling a lot of emotions,” Smith mentioned. “It has been a protracted 48 hours. I felt the cellphone vibrating and I seen it was for the Jets and the decision was from New York and my coronary heart sank to the ground.
“They asked me if I’m ready to be Jet and get to work. … I just told them, ‘Yeah, I’m ready, and I appreciate them, and I’m honored and blessed that they called me and gave me an opportunity.’”
Smith mentioned he spoke with the Jets many occasions throughout the pre-draft course of, together with a Zoom interview and a High 30 go to.
Smith was one of many quickest receivers accessible on this 12 months’s draft class. He has a robust monitor and area background courting again to highschool. In school, he participated within the 100-meter, 200-meter, and lengthy leap occasions for the Bulldogs.
On the NFL Mix in February, Smith ran a 4.36 40-yard sprint. As a result of he has the velocity to take the highest off, opposing defenses should maintain a security or two excessive as a result of school corners had issue maintaining with him when Smith ran go routes.
Nevertheless, Smith had points with drops whereas at Georgia. He registered 10 final season, which led all Energy 4 conferences. Regardless of that, Smith completed with 48 catches for 817 yards and 4 touchdowns in serving to the Bulldogs win the SEC and attain the School Soccer Playoffs earlier than dropping to Notre Dame within the Sugar Bowl.
Smith additionally lacks power, which hurts his means to go up and produce down contested catches in the midst of the sphere. However he feels that his drops are an space that may be improved on the NFL degree.
“I feel like any receiver and pass catcher that’s playing on the next level need to work on them catching the ball,” Smith mentioned. “Drops are going to happen, but I need to do a better job of eliminating them, and I need to be more dominant in one-on-ones, and I feel like I am.”
Along with choosing Smith, the Jets additionally drafted one other SEC participant who they hope can enhance their secondary. Gang Inexperienced traded certainly one of its 2025 fifth-round picks (No. 145) and a 2025 sixth-round choose (No. 207) to maneuver to No. 130 total to pick out Alabama security Malachi Moore.
Security stays a priority for the Jets, and so they acquired a participant in Moore who’s a ballhawk with glorious instincts to intercept the ball in protection. He additionally has the flexibility to play deep in protection, come as much as the road of scrimmage, be a strong tackler, and canopy receivers within the slot.
Throughout his first 4 years at Alabama, Moore performed the STAR and nickel place beneath then-coach Nick Saban. Nevertheless, after talking with Saban and following Kalen DeBoer taking on as coach in 2024, Moore transitioned right into a pure security function.
At the same time as a rookie, Moore is a participant who ought to be capable of contribute as a nickel/free security when wanted. He additionally performed over 500 special-teams snaps at Alabama and is acknowledged for his tackling and blocking expertise, which can possible earn him a spot on the sphere as a rookie for the Jets.
Throughout his 5 seasons at Alabama, Moore registered 214 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and 7 interceptions for the Crimson Tide in 5 seasons.
“My best attribute is definitely man-to-man [coverage],” Moore mentioned. “Simply having that four-year expertise at STAR taking part in within the SEC positively ready me to go to security and canopy down within the slot.
“So, I’m definitely comfortable with guarding anybody.”
