When the New York Jets used the 110th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to take Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith, it caught many around the league by surprise.
Smith’s elite speed — possibly the fastest in the draft — is undeniable. However, concerns about his raw skillset, significant injury history, and tendency to drop passes had most analysts labeling him a late Day 3 pick. Despite that, the Jets felt confident enough to take him early in the fourth round.
If you’re looking for a reason to be skeptical about the pick, consider his pro comparison. According to Bleacher Report’s Dame Parson, Smith draws parallels to former Buffalo Bills receiver Kolby Listenbee — a name likely forgotten by most NFL fans.
That’s because Listenbee never played a down in the NFL after being drafted in the sixth round in 2016. Unfortunately, the similarities between the two players are hard to overlook.
This article is the fourth in a series comparing each Jets draft pick to their projected NFL counterpart. You can find links to the previous installments at the bottom. At a glance, the comparison makes sense. Both Smith and Listenbee were track athletes before focusing on football. Smith ran a blistering 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the 2025 Combine, while Listenbee ran a 4.39 back in 2016.
Both players featured lean builds and relied on vertical speed to stretch defenses — but that’s where the positives end.
Listenbee never saw the field in the NFL. After being drafted by Buffalo, he re-aggravated a lingering groin injury at the Combine, underwent a second surgery, and missed his entire rookie year. He was released the following June and had short, uneventful stops with the Dolphins and Colts before falling out of the league. That’s the fear for Smith.
While Smith doesn’t carry the same injury concerns into the NFL — he played every game over the past two seasons — his early college career was marred by health issues, including wrist surgery, a torn meniscus, a broken fibula, and a high ankle sprain. The Jets are gambling that those issues are behind him, but it’s far from certain.
Smith also brings an additional concern that Listenbee didn’t: unreliable hands. He dropped 10 passes in his senior season alone, despite limited touches. In 2023, he had three drops on just eight receptions.
Though he averaged an impressive 19.94 yards per catch in college, his tape suggests he’s more of a track star than a refined receiver. He struggles in contested situations, offers minimal yards after the catch unless he’s in open space, and lacks the route-running polish to consistently get separation.
Put simply: if he’s not running free downfield, he’s usually not making plays.
The Jets drafted Smith much earlier than most expected, despite a scouting report that looked more like a late-round flyer. Still, he could earn a role quickly. Outside of Garrett Wilson, the Jets’ wide receiver corps is filled with question marks. Veterans like Allen Lazard and Josh Reynolds will compete for the WR2 job, while Smith will be in the mix with Tyler Johnson, Malachi Corley, and Xavier Gipson for playing time.
If the Jets want Smith to become more than just a deep threat, he’ll need to make strides in nearly every area of his game. Unlike Listenbee, he’ll at least have the opportunity — but there’s plenty he still needs to prove.