Throughout the offseason, healthy competition has been a theme of the New York Jets‘ process. Head coach Aaron Glenn brings a new level of grit, determination and overall focus that hasn’t always been present for the franchise.
That comes with high expectations for his players. During Organized Team Activities, training camp and the early preseason, some have managed to rise to the occasion. Glenn sets a tone and standard for his roster, which will continue to take shape as the days go on.
One member of the wideout room, in particular, is a Glenn favorite with Saturday’s preseason outing against the New York Giants on the horizon. Brandon Smith keeps finding ways to stand out.
Glenn Believes Smith is Elevating WR Room This Preseason
Smith, one of the better stories on the team, is fighting for a spot on the eventual 53-man roster. Glenn believes he’s continuously improved this offseason and helped elevate the play of others in the position group.
“Well B-Smitty, he’s been doing that since OTAs also,” Glenn said. “You know, it’s nothing new, and that’s one guy that I probably haven’t talked about enough. But man, I like where he’s at, and he’s steadily improving on a daily basis. So, listen, it’s good when your younger guys are showing up because now it pushes the older guys that they got to get going, because this is going to be a team of the best of the guys are going to be here and the guys that fit us.”
Smith’s journey sums up how difficult it is to make it in professional football. For starters, the Iowa product went undrafted coming out of college and spent the beginning of his NFL career on the Dallas Cowboys‘ practice squad. After a multi-season stint with them, he joined the XFL and played for the DC Defenders. He actually did so twice, with a brief cameo in the NFL preseason on the Arizona Cardinals sandwiched in between. The latter Defenders stretch led to him getting on the Jets’ radar. Is that easy enough to follow?
It was the success Smith had last preseason that kept him around. In three games, he recorded 5 receptions for 120 yards. Although he didn’t make the team, he did land on New York’s practice squad and even appeared in a regular-season game late in the year. With multiple practice squad experiences and an NFL debut now in the books, Smith is trying to make the next step.
Earning Glenn’s trust seems to have been achieved.
Assessing Jets’ Receiver Picture as Week 1 Approaches
In the Jets’ preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers, Smith finished second to only rookie Arian Smith in wide receiver snaps played. He had 23 to the younger Smith’s 36. In those opportunities, he was targeted three times in the passing game and hauled in 2 catches for 23 yards. Both plays were higher-leverage in nature. The first reception came on third-and-11, a gain of 12 yards. The next one was a second-and-11 grab to move the chains. The Jets scored a touchdown on the ensuing play.
The challenge for Smith is the number of bodies vying for a finite set of spots in a competitive wideout room. Several players seem to be locks. Garrett Wilson, Josh Reynolds, Allen Lazard and Arian Smith aren’t going anywhere. Behind them, Tyler Johnson has progressed this offseason and should be tracking to earn a spot. That’s five names already.
That’s without even considering 2024 third-round pick Malachi Corley or special teams candidates Jamaal Pritchett and Xavier Gipson. With the former carrying some draft pedigree and the latter both being better return options, where does that leave Smith? Likely battling to make it through roster cuts based on pure wide receiver chops. That isn’t a favorable position to be in.
The Jets may not have elite depth from a quality standpoint, but the quantity is absolutely there. With that in mind, it’s on Smith to continue proving to Glenn and his staff that he can separate from the pack.
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