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[New York Jets]

Scouting Jets rookie wide receiver Arian Smith

Photo by Steve Limentani/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Taking a look at the Jets rookie wide receiver

The Jets drafted former Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft. Today we break Smith down in detail.

The 23-year old Smith is listed at 6’0” and 179 pounds. He caught 68 passes for 1,356 yards and 10 touchdowns in five years with the Georgia Bulldogs. Having entered the 2024 season with just 20 career catches he had a breakout season last year and led the team in receiving yards.

Background

Smith was a four-star high school recruit and track and field sensation who headed to Georgia in 2019 but redshirted his first season.

Over the next three seasons, he didn’t play much, catching just 12 passes in 19 games. However, he showed big play capabilities with four touchdowns and an average of 32.2 yards per catch. He also broke out in the playoffs as he had 129 yards and a touchdown in the Peach Bowl at the end of the 2022 season.

In 2023, he made the first two starts of his career but still didn’t produce much as he had eight catches for 153 yards and two scores in an offense that also featured Ladd McConkey and Brock Bowers.

However, he was featured much more in 2024 and had a breakout season with three 100-yard games. He ended up with a team-high 817 yards on 48 receptions, with four touchdowns.

Smith was invited to the Senior Bowl and the NFL scouting combine but was considered a probable late round pick. The Jets selected him in the fourth round with the 110th overall pick.

Let’s move on to some more in-depth analysis of what Smith brings to the table as a player, based on extensive research and film study.

Measurables/Athleticism

Smith doesn’t have particularly good size or a big catch radius and he has small hands. He could probably do with adding some bulk to his frame.

One thing that can’t be questioned is his speed. His 40-yard dash at the combine was a 4.36 and it speaks volumes that this was regarded by some as disappointing. As a decorated track athlete, he once ran 10.1 in the 100 meters and competed in college until 2023 before giving it up to focus on football. The speed and burst shows up on film too.

At the combine, Smith didn’t participate in the bench press but posted excellent explosiveness and agility numbers.

Usage

Smith has primarily played on the outside, as he was in the slot less than 25 percent of the time in his career. He did catch 11 passes from the slot last season, but averaged just 10 yards per catch - less than half what he did on the outside.

In addition to his pass catching, Smith has also been used to good effect on jet sweeps and end arounds. He carried eight times for 93 yards in college.

In high school, he also played as a quarterback, running back and defensive back.

Deep threat

Smith was a big downfield threat in college. As noted, he averaged over 30 yards per catch in his first three seasons and still averaged over 19 per catch in his fourth and fifth seasons as his role increased.

He can get behind the defense with pure speed, especially when he gets a clean release. Ultimately, his deep ball numbers probably should have been better than they were had he not had to constantly slow up to catch underthrown deep balls.

Smith’s speed can cause genuine panic in defensive players whether they are playing up on him at the line or in off coverage.

He isn’t just a downfield threat on go routes, because he can also use his speed to get behind the defense on deep over routes.

Hands

As you’ve probably heard, the major concern with Smith is how unreliable his hands are. He dropped 10 passes last season on 72 targets.

If anything, those drop numbers are not that bad. If he just caught a few more of those, then he’d have a 10 percent drop rate, which is higher than you’d like, but not a major concern. He also had just three drops in 40 targets prior to last season.

Let’s be clear about this, though. Those numbers undersell how shaky his hands are. He rarely looks comfortable catching the ball, often bobbling or body-catching it, and had a number of plays that weren’t counted as drops but could still be characterized as catchable. In addition, a lot of the drops he had were really bad, either going right through or bouncing off his hands.

While a lot of receivers with high drop counts could put this down to focus or confidence, Smith’s bigger issue is a technical one. He is ineffective at scooping up low catches and keeps his hands too far apart when reaching beyond his frame. That’s arguably good news because if he gets some good coaching and works as hard at perfecting this aspect as he has at other parts of his game, then it’s almost certainly fixable. Perhaps he’ll never be a natural hands catcher, but the Jets will be hopeful he can at least become reliable enough to mitigate the mistakes as much as possible.

There are a few positive signs to lean on. First of all, even with all the drops, Smith had a solid 67 percent catch rate last year. That’s especially impressive for someone who is a downfield threat so are getting more low percentage targets. (It’s also fair to note that approximately one-third of his targets were screen passes though).

In addition, he also showed that he’s been working on his consistency during the pre-draft process. At the scouting combine, his gauntlet drill was flawless, with a hands catch on every throw. He also reportedly caught the ball well all week at the Senior Bowl.

Routes

A further concern could be that Smith is just a one-trick pony and it’s fair to note that a high proportion of his production came on either deep balls or short passes rather than on a wide variety of different routes. However, some of the things he has shown as a route runner are encouraging.

You can tell he’s been working hard on his technique from his smooth footwork as he releases off the line and how he sets up his breaks.

His speed is such a weapon that it opens up a lot of other ways from him to get open. Nobody can stay with him on a crossing route and backpedaling defensive players have to give him extra room, which he has started to take advantage of by becoming more adept at breaking down or changing direction.

Red zone

You couldn’t really consider Smith as a red zone threat despite him scoring 10 touchdowns on his 68 career catches. That’s because those 10 touchdowns averaged 36.5 yards in length.

He did have three red zone touchdowns, though, with one at the back of the end zone and two on tunnel screens. Coincidentally, all three came from the 12-yard line.

He was also targeted unsuccessfully in the red zone multiple times.

After the catch

With his incredible speed, Smith is obviously a threat to turn any play into a huge gain. He’s also been a big weapon on short passes.

Smith tends to run away from defenders rather than breaking tackles, but can throw a juke move here and there, and often creates yards after contact at the end of a run purely by having built up so much momentum.

He fumbled once during his career, but immediately fell on it himself.

Blocking

Blocking is an underrated part of Smith’s game and an area where he stands out from time to time. His run blocking grades on analysis sites such as Pro Football Focus have been average to good.

His effort in this area really stands out, as he hustles to his spot, battles for leverage and works his angles well. His discipline was also good as he didn’t have any holding penalties in his career.

Physicality

Although he’s clearly at his best in space Smith shows adequate physicality when carrying the ball, blocking and running routes.

One area where he could be better is on contested catches, although he did come down with a couple in traffic last season.

Last season, Smith was called for offensive pass interference three times which is perhaps a sign that he was being more competitive at the catch-point, although he obviously got flagged for pushing off. Two of these penalties negated 40-yard catches.

Special Teams

Smith saw action as a primary punt gunner over the past two seasons and that unit had good results as they only gave up 23 yards in 28 games. However, much of that was a product of the fact that the Bulldogs offense was efficient so they didn’t punt much.

Although he obviously did a solid job, Smith was only credited with one tackle, on this play.

In addition to being a punt gunner, Smith also played as a vice on the punt return unit. He missed one tackle and had a special teams penalty in 2023 but he has no return game experience.

Instincts and Intelligence

Smith has shown some ability to find the soft spots in coverage or improvise and find an open area when a play gets extended.

Perhaps the most obvious place where his instincts shine are as a ball carrier, though, as he shows natural vision and patience.

Smith also showed good awareness on two plays where his teammates fumbled and he came out of nowhere to recover it and save the possession.

However, there was one play where he ran a slant instead of stopping for a screen pass, leading to an interception.

Smith also had two false starts last season.

Attitude

Smith is an even-keeled character who describes himself as tough, both physically and mentally. He is constantly working hard to improve with Georgia’s offensive coordinator Mike Bobo having described him as the hardest worker on the team.

He is a film junkie, who has noted that watching film on DeSean Jackson helped him get better at tracking deep balls and watching Jerry Rice helped him learn how to make his route breaks more effectively.

His on-field discipline was solid too, with just five offensive penalties in his career. All were in 2024, though.

Injuries

Injuries are a big part of the reason why Smith didn’t see the field much until 2024. At the start of his career, he broke his wrist landing in the long jump pit before ever playing in a game.

He suffered a torn meniscus and broken right fibula in 2021 and then, ahead of the 2022 season, suffered a high ankle sprain in preseason and missed the first four games. He then had an ankle fracture at the end of the year that required offseason surgery.

He has also been listed with toe and hip injuries.

Scheme Fit

The conclusion many people will jump to is that Smith is being brought in as a deep threat specialist, but having watched how he generated his production last season, it seems just as likely they see a multi-faceted role as being the best way to unlock his potential.

Smith was a teammate of current Jets edge defender Jermaine Johnson at Georgia in 2021.

Conclusions

A simplistic view of Smith’s potential, and the basis of the ongoing debate among Jets fans so far would be to weigh up the obvious positives he brings in terms of his speed against the negative factor of his unreliable hands. Both are as advertised, but there’s much more to this player.

There are two other areas of concern: His injury history and his late breakout. However, given that the injury history was a major factor in him not breaking out sooner, these two issues are somewhat intertwined.

Smith is 23 and, until the start of last season, had just 20 catches in his career. However, any suggestion that this was merely a case of a 22-year old beating up on guys barely out of high school can be tempered by the fact that he was productive against the bigger teams with 100-yard games against Ohio State and Alabama and 11 catches in two games against Texas.

There are also a lot of positives other than his speed to offset against these concerns. His route running is better than advertised, he creates good yardage with the ball in his hands and he has an excellent attitude that produced results last year as he showed improvements in a number of areas.

Watching Smith’s film is reminiscent of former Jets receiver Robbie Chosen (formerly Robbie Anderson). Throughout his entire career, teammates and some analysts suggested that Anderson was capable of doing more than just running go routes and having bad quarterbacks throw him low percentage downfield passes. Sure enough, as soon as he went to Carolina and they featured him in the short-intermediate game as well, he broke out with a 100+ catch season. The Jets may view Smith as someone who could do the same.

In conclusion, it’s a worthwhile gamble and very difficult to project how his career will play out. All outcomes from elite to bust are on the table but there is a lot to like here and you can see why the Jets were impressed with this player’s potential.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...ew-york-jets-rookie-wide-receiver-arian-smith

 

[New York Jets]

What’s Next for the Jets? A Deep Dive Into the 2025 Rookie Class and Their Assignments

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Here’s what to expect in year one.

The NFL Draft is in our rearview mirror. Let’s project what we can expect from the Jets rookie class of 2025.

Armand Membou; Projected Role: Starting RT

The most glaring need the Jets had entering the NFL Draft was right tackle. Unlike most of the last decade, the Jets entered the offseason with 80 percent of their offensive line set. The right tackle spot was the one question mark. In picking Membou, the Jets completed their offensive line. More than that, four of the five starters will be 26 or younger entering the season.

Membou is almost certain to immediately fill a starting job. The only way he could fall out of the role would be if he showed an enormous struggle adjusting to the speed of the pro game in training camp.

The selection of Membou has a bit of a multiplier effect. It pushes Chukwuma Okorafor to the bench. It’s difficult to imagine Okorafor handling the starting right tackle job. It isn’t outrageous to think that he might be a decent third tackle, though, which is his new role.

Mason Taylor; Projected Role: TE1

In an ideal world, a somewhat raw talent like Taylor could start off as a second or even third tight end. He could learn by collecting limited low pressure snaps and work towards taking over a starting job in year two.

Because the Jets had zero quality at the position prior to the Draft, Taylor is going to be pressed into a prominent role right off the bat. He’s still a bit of a work in progress so it would be wise to keep expectations in check. If he progresses quickly, we can view it as a pleasant surprise.

The big snap count he will get could help his development speed up if you can live through the early days where he might struggle a bit.

Azareye’h Thomas; Projected Role: CB4 and Developmental Future Starter

With Sauce Gardner manning one outside corner slot and the Jets giving Brandon Stephens decent money to take the other, Thomas doesn’t have a path to starting on day one. That isn’t the worst thing in the world. He is another player who has some development to do. The Jets can work with him on the practice field. He will serve as a backup. I’m sure they picked him 73rd overall because they think he has potential, though.

Arian Smith; Projected Role: Offensive Weapon ™ and Gunner on Punt Coverage

Shortly after the team selected him, the Jets leaked to the media that they selected Smith with a role in mind for him. While the group of wide receivers the Jets have behind Garrett Wilson is underwhelming, there are enough veterans around to likely keep the developing Smith from seeing major playing time. The Jets will likely manufacture touches in space for Smith trying to capitalize on his speed. He will also probably see the occasional vertical route when giving a starter some rest. Smith also received high marks for his work in punt coverage so he could end up carving out a role there.

Malachi Moore: Possible Camp Competitor at S

I wouldn’t be shocked to see Moore get a shot at a starting job in training camp. Andre Cisco is likely locked into one starting role, but Tony Adams’ resume probably won’t guarantee him a starting job. He was the project of the last coaching staff, and his benching was ordered by the team owner last year. Moore’s versatility puts him in the mix for a third safety role in big nickel and dime packages should he not end up starting.

Francisco Mauigoa; Projected Role: Possible LB3

At linebacker the Jets have a good starting duo in Jamien Sherwood and Quincy Williams, but there isn’t much depth. It isn’t that hard to imagine the instinctual Mauigoa carving out a role as the top backup at the position. The Jets’ coaching staff probably likes him enough to give him a shot to earn the role.

Tyler Baron; Projected Role: Rotational DE

Baron strikes me as a prospect with somewhat limited upside. He will likely be in the mix with guys like Micheal Clemons, Braiden McGregor, Eric Watts, and others to get backup snaps behind Will McDonald and Jermaine Johnson.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...o-the-2025-rookie-class-and-their-assignments

 

[New York Jets]

New York Jets Flight Connections 05/09/25

Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images

Bringing your daily links to the NFL’s New York Jets

Good morning Gang Green Nation! The New York Jets begin their rookie mini-camp today. Leading into that, the Jets signed five of their seven selections in the 2025 NFL draft, and they released three back of the roster players to free up enough roster spots to welcome their undrafted free agent signings. The signings of five draft picks, including first round pick Armand Membou, signals a clear break from the practices of the Joe Douglas regime. Under Douglas many draft choices would not sign before June, and almost every year at least one pick would still be unsigned in late July, right before training camp begins. It’s not necessarily a high impact kind of change, but it is a refreshing thing to not be concerned whether your prized rookies will show up for the first day of training camp or not.

Here are your links to your New York Jets this glorious Friday in May:

Eric Allen - Jets Sign Missouri OT Armand Membou to Rookie Contract

Jack Bell - Jets Sign Florida State CB Azareye'h Thomas to Rookie Contract

Caroline Hendershot - Jets Sign Miami LB Francisco Mauigoa to Rookie Contract

Ethan Greenberg - Jets Sign Miami LB Tyler Baron to Rookie Contract

Randy Lange - Jets Release Three First-Year Players

Randy Lange - Inside the Numbers on Jets Draft Picks - Arian Smith, Malachi Moore, Francisco Mauigoa & Tyler Baron

ESPN - Biggest postdraft roster holes for all 32 NFL teams

Connor Hughes - Jets position-by-position breakdown entering rookie minicamp

Nikhil Mehta - Jets Sign First-Round T Armand Membou, Four Other Draftees

Joe Simile - New York Jets Trade With Philadelphia Eagles Landed Steal of the Draft

Adam Schultz - New York Jets QB Tyrod Taylor Announces His Good-News Justin Fields Plan

Billy Heyen - Jets need replacement QB for Justin Fields, says ESPN insider

Nick Wojton - Jets' first-round rookie Armand Membou: 'Whatever they need me to do'

Nick Wojton - Jets' Aaron Glenn brushes aside concerns with Azareye'h Thomas pick:

Glenn Naughton - Jets Release Three Players Ahead of Rookie Camp

Glenn Naughton - Jets Getting Rookie Deals Wrapped up Ahead of Mini-Camp

Mike Luciano - NFL scout sees shades of Hall of Famer in Jets rookie Armand Membou

Mike Luciano - George Pickens whiff could push Jets toward signing ex-rival WR

Mike Luciano - Jets should act fast after Panthers make shocking Jadeveon Clowney decision

Mike Luciano - Steelers might land obvious Jets WR if Aaron Rodgers has his way

Alexander Wilson - Why this move could signal the Jets aren’t confident in their secondary

Alexander Wilson - Jets rookie playmaker has a ‘superpower’ — and he's ready to put it on display

Mike Gianakos - Tyrod Taylor opens up on 'support' role behind Justin Fields

Here are your missed connections from yesterday.

Enjoy the day everybody.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...n-taylor-tyler-baron-arian-smith-tyrod-taylor

 

[New York Jets]

New York Jets Flight Connections 05/10/25

Thomas Salus-Imagn Images

Bringing your daily links to the NFL’s New York Jets

The Jets are in the middle of conducting their annual rookie minicamp. It is a first chance for the rookie class of 2025 to hit the practice field. It also gives the Jets a chance to give a tryout to players seeking a contract.

Let’s just say, this is not exactly the most substantive weekend of media coverage on the NFL calendar.

Teams are in the mode of hyping up their Draft picks. Across the league, you will get plenty of glowing reports of first and second round picks dominating at these minicamps. The people writing these reports never seem to consider how preordained this outcome is. These are early round picks going up against mostly undrafted free agents and tryout players, few of whom will even make an NFL roster this season. What exactly were they expecting?

The exceptions to this, of course, are Armand Membou and Mason Taylor, whose dominance is a clear sign of a Hall of Fame trajectory.

Your daily Jets links are below.

Randy Lange - Jets Top Pick Armand Membou Feeling at Home at Start of Rookie Minicamp

Ethan Greenberg & Eric Allen - Jets Sign 15 Undrafted Free Agents

Ethan Greenberg & Caroline Hendershot - Jets to Host 12 Tryout Players in Rookie Minicamp

NY Jets - On Day 1 of Jets Rookie Minicamp, It’s All About the Work

NY Jets - Jets Announce Rookie Numbers

Rich Cimini - Jets’ Mason Taylor embraces ‘high expectations’ from lineage

Antwan Staley - Jets TE Mason Taylor understands the high expectations because of his family pedigree

Ethan Sears - What Robert Saleh won’t miss about being Jets head coach

Nick Wojton - PFF: What is the Jets’ biggest remaining need post-2025 NFL draft?

Nick Wojton - PFF: What is the Jets’ biggest remaining need post-2025 NFL draft?

Michael Nania - NY Jets reveal rookie jersey numbers: Wait, what’s Mason Taylor’s?

Andy Vasquez - Jets’ Woody Johnson at center of contentious ‘battle for control’ across the pond with Devils twist

Andy Vasquez - How Jets’ Justin Fields has already impressed his new o-line: ‘You can see how determined he is to be great’

Bridget Hyland - After QB’s retirement, Jets sign former college star as camp starts

Nick Faria - NY Jets sign 5 of 7 draft picks from 2025 class

Nick Faria - NY Jets lauded for one major offseason improvement

Nick Faria - Jaguars gift the Jets an intriguing WR2 candidate

Josh Alper - QB Brady Cook, 14 other undrafted free agents sign with Jets

Alexander Wilson - Jets could bolster pass rush with one veteran weapon still freshly on the market

Alexander Wilson.9 million deal - Jets ink new offensive tackle to $31.9 million deal

Alexander Wilson - Jets Roster Shakeup Begins: The first wave of cuts hits ahead of camp

Colin Keane - Jets’ Justin Fields Must Outshine Patriots QB To Make Fans Forget Aaron Rodgers

Patrick McAvoy - Jets Fans Should Be Excited About ‘Steal Of The Draft’

Patrick McAvoy - Jets Officially Signing First-Rounder To $31.9 Million Deal

Patrick McAvoy - Jets Making Three Cuts With Offseason Ramping Up

Dakota Randall - ‘Epic Turd’: Damning George Pickens Intel Proves Jets Aren’t Missing Much

Dakota Randall - Jets Fans Should Feel Encouraged By New Strength-Of-Schedule Rankings

Mike Luciano - Rumored schedule leak has the Jets facing a top NFL defense overseas

Mike Luciano - NY Jets 2025 rookie jersey numbers revealed as Armand Membou ditches No. 79

Mike Luciano - NFL scout sees shades of Hall of Famer in Jets rookie Armand Membou

Jackson Roberts - Jets Urged To Sign ‘Perfect WR2 Candidate’ After $20 Million Jaguars Cut

Tim Capurso -Jets First-Rounder Had Funny Reaction to Seeing His Lucrative Rookie Contract

Zach Presnell - Jets’ $20 Million Star Seemingly Primed For Huge Season

Zach Presnell - Rumored Jets-Steelers Trade Makes No Sense For New York

Zach Presnell - Jets’ Offensive Lineman Have High Praise For Justin Fields

Paul Edsen - Analyst Makes Bold ‘DeSean Jackson’ Prediction About Jets Rookie

Paul Edsen - Bears Helped Bills Screw Jets Twice With NFL Draft Trades

Here are your missed connections from yesterday.

Enjoy the day everybody.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...mbou-mason-taylor-arian-smith-rookie-minicamp

 

[New York Jets]

New York Jets Flight Connections 5/11/25

Thomas Salus-Imagn Images

Bringing your daily links to the NFL’s New York Jets

Good morning, Gang Green Nation.

The Jets have completed their rookie minicamp. It was the first chance for rookies and undrafted free agents to hit the practice field. It was also a chance for them and the coaches to speak to the media.

Under the radar, it was a chance for twelve players to try out for the team. Among rookies, we have drafted players and undrafted free agents. There is a third class of players, however. Some rookies don’t get either designation. They do get a chance to try out for NFL teams hoping to eventually land that UDFA designation. I’m not sure what these players can show in a two day minicamp that wasn’t there on a full college career’s worth of film, but the Jets must have at least some passing interest in these guys to invite them in.

Here are your Sunday links.

Antwan Staley - Jets’ Aaron Glenn credits Lions’ Dan Campbell in preparing him to be a head coach

Andy Vasquez - Jets’ Aaron Glenn has one very good reason to believe his new team is buying in

Tom Rock - New Jets coach Aaron Glenn gets five-star reviews from rookies

Al Iannazzone - Giovanni Williams looks to join brothers Quinnen and Quincy on Jets

Eric Allen - What Three Questions Did Aaron Glenn Want Answered at Jets Rookie Minicamp?

Ethan Greenberg - Rookie Minicamp Notebook | Malachi Moore Describes the Differences Between Nick Saban and Aaron Glenn

Michael Nania - Did the New York Jets find a rookie starter in Malachi Moore?

Connor Long - Multiple scouts compare NY Jets’ Membou to future HOFer

Connor Long - The third Williams brother is at NY Jets rookie minicamp

Nick Faria - Mason Taylor embraces playing in Hall-of-Fame shadow with Jets

Nick Faria - 5 things NY Jets fans need to know from Day 1 of rookie minicamp

Nick Faria - Jets’ Arian Smith draws comparison to legendary deep threat

Nick Wojton - Highlights of New York Jets’ 2025 rookie minicamp

Paul Edsen - Jets Rookie Strongly Addresses Awkward Elephant in the Room

Paul Edsen - Jets Urged to Sign 69-Sack, $23 Million Ex-All Pro

Paul Edsen - Jets Give Tryout to Mysterious Brother of All-Pros, Chance at NFL History

Mike Luciano - Jets’ Justin Fields decision looks even better after latest Derek Carr news

Mike Luciano - ESPN joins chorus of Justin Fields haters with Jets roster assessment

Patrick McAvoy - Robert Saleh Sheds Light On Polarizing Stint With Jets

Zach Presnell - Shocking New Suitor May Join Steelers In Aaron Rodgers Sweepstakes

Dakota Randall - Jets Already Change Rookie’s Jersey Number Amid Outrage Over Original

Alexander Wilson - Jets’ brand new offensive piece gets Hall of Fame comparison

Alexander Wilson - Jets may have something brewing with their UDFA quarterback — and toughness is just the start

Alexander Wilson - Jets hoping to strike gold with late round linebacker

Patrick McAvoy - Jets’ Armand Membou Lands ‘Bold’ Comparison To Eagles Legend

Matthew Schmidt - Browns Legend Receives Surprising Shoutout from Jets Rookie

Here are your missed connections from yesterday.

Have a great Sunday.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/2025/5/11/24427707/new-york-jets-flight-connections-5-11-25

 

[New York Jets]

Jets announce the signings of 15 undrafted free agents

Thomas Salus-Imagn Images

The team will also offer twelve players a tryout.

The Jets have announced the signing of 15 undrafted free agents.

We have signed 15 undrafted free agents.

: https://t.co/2RTlHiMLMv pic.twitter.com/plXYpbjHHF

— New York Jets (@nyjets) May 9, 2025​

Most of these signings were reported in the media in the hours and days following the NFL Draft, but this is official confirmation from the team. Occasionally reporters will miss a signing, or something changes before a contract becomes official.

Few of these players will make the roster. Generally speaking, the Jets keep one or two UDFAs in a typical year. Last year, three made the initial 53 man roster, and that was considered an unusually robust number.

Of course, sometimes a UDFA turns out to be a gem. Through the years, the Jets have found contributors like Snacks Harrison, Robby Anderson, Bryce Huff, and Tony Adams in the likes of undrafted free agents.

The Jets also announced tryout players for their rookie minicamp.

These players face pretty long odds. They need to stand out in a short timeframe to even earn a contract. The Jets don’t have excess space to spare on their roster. They needed to make cuts to make room for the players they drafted. So anybody who earns a contract from this group has really done something to stand out.

The most notable name might be Giovanni Williams not because of his profile as a prospect but because he is the brother of Quinnen and Quincy Williams.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...unce-the-signings-of-15-undrafted-free-agents

 

[New York Jets]

Scouting Jets rookie safety Malachi Moore

Photo by Jason Clark/Getty Images

Taking a look at the Jets rookie safety

The New York Jets drafted former Alabama safety Malachi Moore in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft. Today we break Moore down in detail.

The 23-year old Moore is listed at 5’11” and 196 pounds. He was a second-team all-American in 2024. He had 214 tackles, 2.5 sacks and six interceptions in 64 games with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Background

Moore was a four-star high school recruit who had four interceptions in his final season and earned a scholarship at Alabama, where he won a starting role in his freshman season in 2020.

He was named to the all-SEC freshman team and the all-SEC second team after starting the first 11 games of the year and recording 44 tackles, six passes defensed and three interceptions. He also returned a fumble for a touchdown. However, he missed the postseason due to injury.

In 2021, Moore started nine games, but he was in a rotational role as he finished the season with 17 tackles and one interception.

Ahead of the 2022 season, he was named as a preseason third team all-American by Pro Football Focus, but ended up starting just one game. He had 31 tackles and the first 1.5 sacks of his career.

In 2023, he was a full-time starter and had a productive year with 52 tackles and a career-best five tackles for loss.

2024 was his best season, as he earned second team all-American and first team all-SEC honors by racking up 70 tackles, eight pass breakups, two interceptions and a sack.

Moore was invited to the NFL scouting combine but did not work out due to injury. The Jets traded up to select him with the last pick of the fourth round in April’s draft.

Let’s move on to some more in-depth analysis of what Moore brings to the table as a player, based on extensive research and film study.

Measurables/Athleticism

Moore is a little undersized for the safety position with very short arms. In fact, the only safety with shorter arms in combine history to become a starting safety at the NFL level has been Geno Stone.

He ran a solid 4.57 in the 40-yard dash and posted 15 bench press reps at his pro day, but didn’t do the agility drills. His explosiveness numbers were excellent.

Usage

Moore has played in the box, in the slot and as a deep safety, but his role evolved over the course of his career.

In his freshman season, the majority of his reps were in the slot with some in the box and none as a deep safety. However, his final season saw him mostly playing as a deep safety.

Coverage skills

Moore played closer to the line of scrimmage until last season. The move into a deeper role was reflected in fewer targets and vastly improved coverage numbers. He entered the 2024 season having given up a completion on 70 percent of his targets, but reduced that all the way down to 43 percent last year, as he gave up just 11 yards per game.

For his career as a whole, he gave up 10 touchdowns and a lot of big plays, occasionally being overmatched when isolated against a speedy receiver.

However, he looks good in off coverage, with a good ability to latch on in coverage and anticipate route breaks.

As a deep safety he did a solid job of patrolling center field, picking off a few errant passes and doing a solid job of ranging across the field in coverage support.

Ball skills

Moore put up solid on-ball numbers in college with six career interceptions and 25 pass breakups. He displays good range and timing in center field and tracks deep throws well.

Closer to the line of scrimmage, he has good awareness and positional sense and the ability to jump routes and contest throws.

Tackling

Moore is a big hitter with good closing speed and a knack for knocking or stripping the ball loose. He had five forced fumbles in his career.

His tackle efficiency was a minor concern heading into the 2024 season as he had just missed a career-high nine tackles in 2023. However, he showed a dramatic improvement last year, as he was fifth best among power five safeties who played over half the defensive snaps in terms of tackle efficiency.

Run defense

Moore’s lack of size could be detrimental against the run but he shows some willingness to take on blocks and set the edge. His technique and strength when trying to shed blocks could do with some work, but he plays with good discipline.

Despite playing deeper, his production against the run in 2024 was still solid as he had 32 tackles and the same number of stops (nine) as in his freshman year.

Physicality

Despite a lack of size, Moore brings competitiveness and works hard to get ball carriers on the ground when he wraps them up. As noted, he’s a big hitter.

He has played press coverage at times but only had 12 penalties in his career, with only one of his four penalties last season for pass interference and none for illegal contact or defensive holding.

Blitzing

Moore has plenty of experience as a blitzer and was credited with 2.5 sacks and a decent pressure rate during his college career. He brings burst and timing off the edge.

He can also be effective in situations where he is tasked with spying the quarterback to prevent him from escaping the pocket and converting first downs.

Moore also batted two passes down at the line while rushing the quarterback.

Special teams

Moore has plenty of special teams experience with his best season coming in 2022 when he had five special teams tackles.

He has played in kickoff coverage, as a blocker on the kickoff return unit and on the punt protection unit. In addition, he’s both rushed punts and played the vice role on the punt return unit and was on the kick block unit for the past two seasons.

He also had this special teams touchdown on a blocked punt.

Instincts/Intelligence

Moore displays excellent on-field instincts, regularly blowing up plays in the flat by reading his keys or making an immediate reaction.

He was caught out of position on this play, though, leading to a crucial touchdown on fourth down.

The fact he has played multiple defensive roles and positions should serve Moore well in this area and speaks to his scheme familiarity.

Attitude

Moore is an incredibly intense and high energy player and one of the first things that stands out on film is how he gets fired up and flexes after virtually every play he makes.

There’s nothing particularly wrong with that but it’s likely to make him unpopular with opposing fans, and could cause Jets fans to lose patience with him if he carries this demeanor while also making occasional mistakes.

Something he’ll need to watch is that he doesn’t cross the line in terms of taunting while celebrating over an opponent or jawing with them at the end of a play. There were a few plays he made last season where that could have led to a flag and his on-field discipline has been lacking at times, with two personal fouls and an unsportsmanlike penalty last year alone.

One incident in particular gave cause for concern at the end of the Crimson Tide’s upset loss to Vanderbilt last season.

Moore - who had already been accused of a dirty hit on the opposing quarterback’s head at the end of a play - threw what can only really be described as a tantrum at the end of the game, yelling at teammates, throwing his mouthguard and then petulantly kicking the ball down the field after the officials tried to spot it for the victory formation. Perhaps even more worryingly, he then refused to leave the game as the coaches tried to sub him out.

Moore was a captain for the past two years, which points to the fact that he was known for having good character and leadership. However, the fact that this incident took place while Moore was a captain and fifth-year senior arguably makes it even worse.

To his credit, Moore apparently took ownership of the incident and vowed that he had learned from it and that it wouldn’t happen again. The coaches also threw their support behind him, saying they had dealt with it behind the scenes and decided not to suspend him because he “went above and beyond” to atone for his behavior and had been a critical piece for them during the rest of his career.

Hopefully that was an aberration and a learning experience for him. It would surely have been something every team asked him to justify at the combine so the Jets were presumably satisfied with his explanation.

He showed further signs of good character by being named a member of the SEC Community Service Team while at Alabama.

Injuries

Moore showed some toughness to play through some injuries while at Alabama but his durability may be a concern because he’s undersized.

In 2024, he missed the team’s bowl game as he went for surgery on a sports hernia, which had reportedly bothered him all year. He had been cleared in time for the scouting combine but opted to work out at his pro day instead to give it extra time to heal.

2023 saw him missing one game and knocked out of two others as he had a twisted ankle and he also had a concussion and a back injury while at Alabama. The latter ended his freshman season prematurely, causing him to miss the postseason.

Scheme Fit

It’s notable that Moore was a teammate of Brian Branch, who was a key leader for head coach Aaron Glenn’s Lions defense and reportedly put in a good word for Moore when Glenn asked him for a reference.

It will be interesting to see what kind of plan the Jets have for Moore. Unlike Michael Carter II, who was also an undersized college safety with short arms, Moore lacks the speed and athleticism to convert to a full-time cornerback role.

Athletically, Moore actually profiles more similarly to Branch, but there is a size difference of two inches and 20+ pounds.

The fact that he falls between those two players could indicate he’s a good schematic fit for the defense which Glenn is using the existing Jets personnel to create alongside defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.

Moore was also a teammate of current Jets defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis while at Alabama.

Conclusions

Moore is a player who will bring intensity and energy, having displayed plenty of playmaking ability in college. He’s also demonstrated versatility and been productive in an NFL-style defense against good opposition.

His size and durability could be concerning, and it’s clear he is a fiery player who may need to work at keeping his emotions under control. Without these issues, Moore’s film would probably have been good enough for him to warrant being a top-50 selection, so the Jets could end up with a bargain if he allays those fears.

Source: https://www.ganggreennation.com/202...ing-new-york-jets-rookie-safety-malachi-moore