Jets' biggest winner from the preseason couldn't be clearer

The New York Jets concluded their preseason on Friday with plenty of roster battles still unsettled, but a handful of players used the summer to make a real statement. One such player was wide receiver Brandon Smith.

Smith entered training camp near the bottom of the Jets' wide receiver depth chart, but the former UFL standout impressed throughout the summer and put together a strong case to make the final 53-man roster.

You'd be hard-pressed to find a player who improved their stock more than Smith this summer. The Iowa product led the Jets with 10 catches for 113 yards in the preseason, while forcing his way into the first-team offense following an injury to Allen Lazard.

It remains unclear if Smith will be a part of the Jets' initial 53-man roster, but one thing is clear. He did absolutely everything he could to put himself in the conversation with an outstanding preseason.

Brandon Smith solidified his Jets roster case with a standout preseason showing

Smith has had an unorthodox journey to the NFL. The former Iowa standout originally signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent back in 2021. He'd spend the better part of the next two years on the team's practice squad, although he never managed to appear in an NFL game.

After being released by Dallas in late January 2023, Smith signed on with the DC Defenders that spring, where he went on to appear in eight games, all as a backup. A brief stint with the Arizona Cardinals in the summer of 2023 ultimately amounted to nothing, and he soon re-signed with the Defenders.

Smith saw more playing time in his second year with DC, hauling in 18 catches for 209 yards and two touchdowns as a part-time UFL starter. That was apparently enough to earn him another NFL opportunity, this time with the Jets.

The Jets signed Smith in early August 2024 as a late addition to their training camp roster. Not much was expected out of the Mississippi native, but he made the most of his limited opportunities, catching five passes for 120 yards in three preseason games.

That earned Smith a spot on the Jets' practice squad, where he would spend the entire 2024 season. He even managed to appear in one December game, taking the field for a single offensive snap before reverting back to the practice squad the following week.

Brandon Smith signed a futures contract with the Jets in January, starting the summer buried deep on the depth chart. But in a wide receiver room lacking any semblance of depth, the door was open for someone to rise, and Smith has seized that opportunity.

Smith took full advantage of Lazard's injury, filling in with the first-team offense in practice with the veteran wideout sidelined due to a shoulder injury. Combine that with his stellar performance in the preseason, and Smith did everything possible to earn a roster spot.

The Jets will have some difficult decisions to make over the coming days, but this one shouldn't be one of them. Brandon Smith was the biggest winner of the Jets' preseason, and he deserves to be on the 53-man roster.

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