When the New York Jets drafted Arian Smith in the fourth round back in April, the expectation wasn’t that he’d walk in and become a star, but the hope was that he’d at least have every opportunity to grow into a meaningful role.
The Jets’ wide receiver room was (and still is) one of the thinnest in the NFL. If there was ever a landing spot where a raw, developmental speedster could carve out early snaps, this was it.
But last Thursday night's Week 11 loss to the New England Patriots told a very different story. Smith played just nine offensive snaps, his lowest workload since Week 1.