The New York Jets are expected to field an improved group of wide receivers during the 2026 NFL season.
Garrett Wilson is back healthy after having signed a lucrative contract extension. Adonai Mitchell looked like a stud at offseason workouts, and the Jets also traded back into the first round of the 2026 NFL draft to select Omar Cooper Jr.
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Wilson, Mitchell, and Cooper should enter the regular season as the unquestioned top three wideouts on the depth chart.
There’s competition for the spots behind them. That means sophomore fourth-round pick Arian Smith will have to earn a role through strong training camp performances.
Many analysts felt the Jets reached on Smith when they selected him with the 110th selection during the 2025 draft. Nothing Smith did during his rookie season quieted those concerns. A speedy but raw product coming out of Georgia, the former Bulldogs standout managed just 52 receiving yards as a rookie.
Smith will face competition from the likes of Isaiah Williams and veteran signing Tim Patrick.
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Williams made a big offseason impression, and general manager Darren Mougey worked with Patrick in Denver with the Broncos. Smith will enter training camp needing to prove he’s a much improved receiver and special teams asset.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Is Jets WR Arian Smith already on thin ice?
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