This forgotten Jets WR could blow up the team’s summer roster plans

The New York Jets have plenty of wide receivers on the roster. The problem is they have one true difference-maker. With few clear answers behind Garrett Wilson, opportunity will be up for grabs this summer, especially for players who make the most of limited reps.

That’s exactly what Brandon Smith has done at every stop of his career. The former XFL/UFL wideout is seen as a longshot to make the Jets’ 53-man roster, but he turned heads in last year’s preseason and is back for another run.

With a new coaching staff, a wide-open depth chart, and a new scheme that seems to value the things he does well, Smith might just have a shot. He’s not the name anyone’s talking about, but he rarely is, and that’s never stopped him before.

In a thin and new-look Jets wide receiver room, Smith has a real chance to make the Jets' roster coming out of training camp. And for the well-traveled spring football veteran, this might be his last shot.

Brandon Smith has a chance to make the Jets' roster this summer

Smith’s football journey to this point has been anything but conventional. After going undrafted out of Iowa in 2021, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys and spent parts of two seasons on their practice squad.

Despite a pair of strong summers in Dallas, he was never elevated to the active roster and was finally released in January 2023 without appearing in an NFL game. That’s when he turned to spring football.

Smith joined the XFL’s DC Defenders for the 2023 season and appeared in eight games — none as a starter — but still made the most of his limited snaps. He caught 10 of 13 targets for 132 yards and a touchdown, with zero drops.

That performance earned him a summer stint with the Arizona Cardinals, but he wasn’t given much opportunity in the preseason and was waived during final cuts.

Smith returned to the Defenders in 2024, this time in the newly formed UFL, and carved out a bigger role. He started five of eight games, finishing with 18 catches for 208 yards and two touchdowns.

Once again, he proved to be reliable, recording just one drop on 33 targets and a total of one drop across 46 spring league targets over two seasons. He also hauled in 8 of his 17 contested-catch opportunities during that span.

The Jets took notice and signed Smith in early August last year. Even with limited time to make an impression, he shined in the preseason, catching all five of his targets, four of them contested catches.

In fact, Smith was the only player in the NFL last preseason (minimum four contested targets) to haul in 100% of those opportunities. It wasn’t enough to make the 53-man roster, but it did earn him a year-long spot on the practice squad.

He was even elevated for a game in Week 15, finally making his NFL debut and logging one offensive snap. The Jets signed him to a futures deal after the season, giving him another shot in 2025.

There are obstacles, no doubt. Smith turns 27 in December, which is considered old for a developmental player. NFL teams often prefer to keep younger receivers around, especially when investing in mid-round draft picks like Malachi Corley or Arian Smith.

Smith also didn’t contribute on special teams last season, a hurdle that could again hurt his chances. If he wants to make the 53-man roster, he’ll need to show value there, especially with players like Irvin Charles (a special-teams mainstay) competing for the same depth role.

Still, Smith has traits the Jets are looking for. His 61.2 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus in the UFL last year ranked fourth among wide receivers with at least 90 run-block snaps.

That matters in this new offensive scheme under offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, which is expected to place a premium on blocking from the wide receiver position. The Jets’ staff has made it clear that if you can block, you’ll get a longer look.

And with how this wide receiver room is shaping up, Smith could find that opportunity. Garrett Wilson is locked in as the No. 1, but beyond him, things are murky.

Josh Reynolds and Allen Lazard are battling for the WR2 role, though Lazard remains a trade candidate, especially after Aaron Rodgers signed in Pittsburgh. Tyler Johnson, Malachi Corley, Arian Smith, and Xavier Gipson are all in the mix for backup roles, but none are guaranteed spots.

UDFA Jamaal Pritchett is pushing Gipson for the punt returner role. Quentin Skinner, Dymere Miller, and even Charles, coming off a torn ACL, are all competing for depth spots as well.

So yes, Smith remains a longshot. But in a wide receiver room with more questions than answers, a player who wins in contested situations, rarely drops passes, and is a talented blocker could sneak onto the roster, especially if Lazard is traded.

The road isn’t easy. It never has been. But Brandon Smith has made a habit of doing more with less. If he does it again this summer, he may finally earn the roster spot that’s eluded him for years.

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