New York Jets strike gold with Devin Smith

By Luis Tirado Jr. | May 1, 2015

The New York Jets have truly had an offseason to remember for the ages. Not only did they completely revamp their defensive secondary via free agency and picked up a viable veteran quarterback to address immediate team needs, they landed one of the top defensive prospects of the 2015 NFL Draft in Leonard Williams. With the No. 37 pick in the 2nd Round, the Jets boldly drafted wide receiver Devin Smith to help bring their offense to new heights.

It’s no secret that even though the Jets had a top three rushing attack in the NFL last season, they truly lacked a top-notch wide receiver. While I love what Eric Decker brings to the table, he’s not really a true No. 1 receiver.

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The Jets this offseason landed wide receiver Brandon Marshall who should -barring any injury or setback- give the Jets’ offense a much needed boost. Regardless, they are missing speed and quickness from their wide receiving corps. Hence why drafting Smith makes a ton of sense in the grand scheme of things.

At 6’0″ and 196 pounds, Smith will elevate the Jets’ offense to really take off. In his collegiate career at Ohio State, he contributed 2,503 yards and 30 touchdowns. He will give the Jets a nice presence not only in the end-zone but also as a deep receiving threat.

With some experience in kickoff and punt returns, I can envision Smith to be quite the offensive weapon for the Jets taking on multiple roles. With a whole new regime in place and a much improved mentality compared to the past few years, the Jets are indeed a team on the rise.

Of course it has yet to be seen what the Jets will truly accomplish come next season but I predict quite the turnaround season. While most experts predict the Jets to tank next season due to their big question mark at quarterback, I actually wrote about how they will go 10-6. Thanks to Williams and now Smith, the Jets are on the rise.

What I love about Smith is his speed and ability to make big plays once the football is in his hands. Whether it’s Ryan Fitzpatrick or Geno Smith under center, the Jets know they will need to have plenty of play-makers on offense to elevate their chances of being a contender come next season, no matter who is at quarterback.

Considering that Smith in his college career averaged 20.7 yards per catch, he will do very well on the Jets once he transitions into life in the NFL. I think he’ll be a nice surprise once he starts to get acclimated to an NFL playbook.

I don’t envision the Jets dramatically changing their offensive system since I live by the mentality of if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. The Jets should still continue being a ground-and-pound team since it yielded a ton of success over the past few years but should incorporate more screen plays and slant routes for their bolstered receiving corps.

Smith can be used in a variety of different ways as I can see offensive coordinator Chan Gailey making specific offensive plays utilizing his speed and ability to make big plays going deep. Overall, the Jets landed quite the play-maker and continue making all the right moves towards having a great year this season and beyond.

Next: New York Jets: NFL Nation wrong to predict 3-13 for 2015

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