Aaron Glenn gives NY Jets fans a reason to believe in polarizing Arian Smith pick

The New York Jets’ selection of Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft didn’t exactly generate overwhelming excitement from the fanbase.

While Smith’s elite speed is undeniable, his persistent drop issues, limited route tree, and history of injuries made the pick a tough sell, especially with more polished wide receivers still available at the time.

Still, the Jets clearly see a plan for Smith's development. Head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey have prioritized traits like athleticism, character, and upside throughout this draft class, and Smith fits that blueprint.

The team is betting on his rare explosiveness and trusting their coaching staff to help iron out the rougher parts of his game. Glenn made that belief crystal clear during his post-draft press conference on Saturday.

The NY Jets believe Arian Smith's drop issues are fixable

The Jets' new head coach compared Smith to Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams, a former first-round pick Glenn knows well from his time in Detroit, citing similar early-career concerns with drops that Williams has worked to overcome.

"This player is self aware. I lived this with Jameson Williams. I see this player doing the same thing. He's going to get better than that."

Aaron Glenn

Of course, it’s important to note that the comparison between Smith and Williams only goes so far. While both entered the NFL with questions about their hands, Williams was a far more complete and accomplished prospect coming out of Alabama.

In his final collegiate season, Williams caught 79 passes for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns, earning first-team All-American honors while recording a much lower drop rate of just over 7%. By contrast, Smith finished his final year at Georgia with 48 catches, 817 yards, and an alarming 18 percent drop rate.

There’s no denying that Smith has rare speed, and his ability to stretch the field vertically will be a welcome addition to the Jets' offense if he can refine his overall game.

But he’s much more of a developmental project than Williams was entering the league, and turning that potential into consistent NFL production will take time and work. The Jets are clearly betting on their coaching staff — and Smith’s self-awareness — to make that happen.

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Fortunately for Smith, he’ll have every opportunity to carve out a role in a wide receiver room that badly needs reinforcements behind Garrett Wilson. Veterans like Josh Reynolds and Allen Lazard are penciled in as complementary pieces, but neither is locked into a major long-term role.

Beyond that, the Jets are relying on depth options like Tyler Johnson, Xavier Gipson, and 2024 third-round pick Malachi Corley, who barely saw the field last season. If Smith can show growth this summer, there’s a realistic path for him to earn snaps as a situational deep threat early in his rookie year.

The Jets are betting big on Arian Smith’s upside, even if the path to success will not be easy. If Aaron Glenn’s confidence is any indication, they believe they have the right plan — and the right player — to make it work.

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