Jets' disappointing draft pick Arian Smith gets vote of confidence from Chris Banjo

Can Smith bounce back?

Charlie Baduini

New York Jets wide receiver Arian Smith / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

New York Jets wide receiver Arian Smith was a widely panned draft pick in 2025, considering how massive a reach he was according to the consensus boards.

He unfortunately lived up to those concerns last season, and the fourth-round pick had an underwhelming rookie season to say the least. He caught seven passes for 52 yards and only played about 38% of the offensive snaps.

Down the stretch of the 2025 season, Smith began appearing more on special teams, serving as the Jets' gunner thanks to his blazing speed.

But entering the 2026 season, Smith's roster spot could be in jeopardy if he doesn't show some growth over the summer.

Chris Banjo says Jets WR Arian Smith is 'looking forward to improving'

Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Jets' special teams coordinator Chris Banjo had praise for Smith and said he was looking forward to growing his game this summer.

"Really looking forward to his development. Obviously, he was able to continue to grow throughout the season last year, and our hopes for him is for him to just hit the ground running and continue to pick up on where he left off. I spoke on all the guys coming in with the juice and energy they've been able to bring, he's definitely been one of those guys that's really, really wide-eyed and looking forward to improving on a day-to-day basis."
Chris Banjo

While Banjo's comments should ease Jets fans' concerns about their disappointing young wideout, it's the special teams coach who's praising Smith, and not the offensive coordinator.

Smith couldn't carve out a role for himself last season in one of the worst wide receiver rooms in the NFL. After Garrett Wilson went down with an injury in Week 6, the Jets' leading pass catchers were veterans like Josh Reynolds, Tyler Johnson, and Allen Lazard. Smith still couldn't get on the field over those guys.

It likely didn't help that there were clearly some other things going on for Smith during his rookie season. The Georgia product was a healthy scratch in Week 13 last year for disciplinary reasons.

We'll see if Smith can bounce back in 2026, but it may not be primarily as an offensive threat. His special teams contributions may be his bread and butter going forward.

Charlie Baduini

Charlie Baduini covers the New York Jets as a site expert for The Jet Press and FanSided. He is a sports journalist based in Northern New Jersey with a wide variety of sports reporting experience in print and broadcast journalism. Baduini’s byline can also be seen on Heavy and The Sporting News, where he covers several teams across the NFL and NBA. His work has been featured in Heavy, Athlon Sports, The Sporting News, Yahoo Sports, MSN, and Yardbarker. He also serves as a seasonal intern for ESPN, working as a production assistant for the Heisman Trophy Ceremony every year since 2022. Baduini has been a Jets fan for as long as he can remember, with his family's fandom dating back to the 1960s when his grandfather, Louis, became a season ticket holder. His family has since held on to the tickets to this day. He is an avid fan of the New York Knicks and New York Mets.