The Jets, with that always significant first selection of day three of the draft after resetting their board following Round 3, on Saturday afternoon selected Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith with their fourth-round choice, No. 110 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.
"They asked me, am I ready to be a Jet?" Smith said on a teleconference call with reporters. "I just told them, yeah, I'm ready, man. I just appreciate them and I'm honored and blessed that they called me and have just given me an opportunity. And I'm just ready."
He described himself as having mental and physical toughness and packing it in a 6-0, 179-pound frame: "I'm a slim body type of player, you know, not that big, just fast.:
Smith, as a redshirt senior last season, sped to the Bulldogs' team leadership with 817 receiving yards, on 48 catches for a 17.0 yards/catch average and 4 touchdowns. In his four seasons at UGa, he played 47 games and totaled 68 catches, 1,356 yards (19.9 yards/catch) and 10 TDs.
His combine results underscore the athleticism he'll be bringing to the Green & White. He notched a 4.36-second 40, a 38-inch vertical jump, a 10-7 broad jump, a 6.82-second 3-cone drill and a 4.19-second short shuttle at the February NFL Combine workouts.
Smith's speed is also in keeping with his international track and field background. Running out of Mulberry (FL) HS, He set the longest long jump in the country in 2018 at 25-3. Then in 2019 as a junior, he claimed a Florida state title in the 200 meters, took a silver medal in the 100, then in July 2019 he anchored the U.S. 4x100 relay team to a World Under-20 record of 36.62 seconds at the Pan American Championships in Costa Rica.
See the best images of the 110th overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, Georgia WR Arian Smith.
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) celebrates after overtime over Texas in overtime of the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith prepares to run the 40-yard dash at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (Brooke Sutton via AP)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) sets up for a play against Florida during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith speaks during a press conference at the NFL football scouting combine Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith runs into the end zone for a game-winning touchdown against Texas in overtime of the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) catches a pass ahead of Notre Dame cornerback Christian Gray (29) during the first half in the quarterfinals of a College Football Playoff, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) can't hang on to a pass as Tennessee defensive back Rickey Gibson III (1) defends during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) is seen during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Oxford, Miss. (AP Photo/Randy J. Williams)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) runs against Florida during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron (7) hits Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) during the second half of the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) is tackled by Texas linebacker Barryn Sorrell (88) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Rodolfo Gonzalez)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) runs the ball during an NCAA college football game against Mississippi State, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/Jason Allen)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) runs against Florida during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) runs a route during the national championship NCAA College Football Playoff game against TCU, Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. (Ryan Kang via AP)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) runs in for a touchdown after a catch during the first half of an NCAA college football game against UAB, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (WO39) participates in a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. (AJ Mast via AP Images)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) makes a catch in front of Tennessee defensive back Brandon Turnage (8) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022 in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) points as he celebrates scoring a touchdown against Florida State in the first half of the Orange Bowl NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) scores a touchdown against Florida State in the Orange Bowl NCAA college football game, Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) makes the catch against Ohio State during the first half of the Peach Bowl NCAA college football semifinal playoff game, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) runs into the end zone for a touchdown against Ohio State during the second half of the Peach Bowl NCAA college football semifinal playoff game, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) runs into the end zone for a touchdown against Ohio State during the second half of the Peach Bowl NCAA college football semifinal playoff game, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) scores a touchdown during the second half of the team's NCAA college football game against South Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020, in Columbia, S.C. Georgia won 45-16. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (WO39) participates in a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, Mar. 1, 2025. (AJ Mast via AP Images)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith celebrates with other prospects after the drills at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (Brooke Sutton via AP)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith (11) celebrates a touchdown against South Carolina with Darnell Washington (0), Ben Cleveland (74) and Kearis Jackson (10) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020, in Columbia, S.C. Georgia won 45-16. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)
Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
He transferred to Lakeland HS as a senior, playing WR and setting the stage for his rapid rise at Georgia.
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein states that Smith "is the fastest player on the field. If a cornerback presses him and misses, he'd better have safety help because Smith averaged 36.5 yards on his 10 career touchdown receptions."
The Jets took Smith with their own selection in Round 4. This draft marks the first time since 2016 that they have used their own first four picks of a draft to take players rather than trading one or more of those picks.
Smith is the 13th Georgia player taken by the Jets and the first since LB Jordan Jenkins (Round 3, No. 83) in 2016. Probably the most famous Bulldog selected by the Jets is LB Mo Lewis (1991, Round 3), who went on to start 199 games and make 3 Pro Bowls. Other Bulldogs tabbed by the Jets include QB Matt Robinson (1977, Round 9) and DT Jason Ferguson (1997, Round 7).
The Jets have had good results with fourth-round selections in the recent past. Since 2000 in that round they have selected WR Jerricho Cotchery (2004), S Kerry Rhodes (2005), WR Brad Smith and RB Leon Washington (2006), Joe McKnight (2010) and Bilal Powell (2011). DL Micheal Clemons ('22) and RB Braelon Allen ('24) are among the Round 4 players on the current roster.
The Jets have used the No. 110 pick in a draft only once, to take Oklahoma LB Gary Baccus in 1974. Baccus never played a game as a pro.
