New York Jets: From Buckeye Nation to Gotham City, The Expectations For WR Devin Smith

J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS!!! It is never too early to start talking about football and Gang Green. One reason for such optimism is rookie speedster Devin Smith.

While the New York Jets made multiple moves to improve the team this year, the one player I am excited for the most is Devin Smith. Devin Smith was he wide receiver from “The” Ohio State University and is an explosive down-field player that this team needs.

While last year the New York Jets had multiple issues on the team, quarterback controversy, the head coaching versus general manager issue, defensive injury issues, and many, many more. Anyways, Woody Johnson, Owner of the Jets, decided to clean house, releasing Rex Ryan, John Izdik, Michael Vick, Chris Johnson, Percy Harvin, and bringing in a new GM Mike Maccagnan, Head Coach Todd Bowles.

With the new faces of the organization, they decided to make a splash in the free agent market, bringing in wide receiver Brandon Marshall, corners Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie, and Buster Skrine, along with multiple other faces to bring championship winning mindsets and veteran leadership to the team.

With the sixth pick of the NFL Draft, the New York Jets selected USC defensive beast in Leonard Williams. While it was a solid pick-up—even more shrewd with the four-game suspension of tackle Sheldon Richardson for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy—and while it was not the best pick for the Jets in my personal opinion, looking back on it now, it makes sense and adds some depth on the D-line.

With the thirty-seventh overall pick of the draft, the New York Jets selected Ohio State burner Devin Smith. Whoa, can I just say that this is the missing piece to the puzzle for the New York Jets offense. While nobody can ever say that Geno Smith will be the Jets permanent face of the franchise, we can all agree on this, all the blame does not deserve to be placed on Geno Smith.

Think about it like this, you become the new associate at a job, and they changed your assistant manager twice, your co-workers are either quitting, transferring, or have an issue with the company, and the store manager and district manager hate each other, while the owner is completely oblivious. Sounds stressful right?

So we can’t blame Geno for trying to learn to throw to a new receiver every other week.

The New York Jets realized that there was an issue, so they attempted to use Percy Harvin as the missing piece to the puzzle, and while he made a couple big plays, his reputation and attitude did nothing but hinder the locker room and gave the media more to talk about how bad the situation was for the Jets.

Now that everything has changed, Geno has an amazing receiving core, and has no room for excuses. Now add a 6’2, 196-pound receiver, who ran a 4.42 at the 40-yard dash, and is has amazing talent when it comes to catching the deep ball.

You must be thinking of DeSean Jackson, but I am actually talking about Devin Smith.

Just look at the game he had against Wisconsin at the Big Ten Championship game, (four catches, 137 yards, and three touchdowns) talk about a difference maker.

Although Devin will most likely not start at the 1 or 2 slots for wide out, he will definitely be getting a large number of snaps from the slot receiver role. When opposing coaches are setting up game plans, they better not think of putting a line backer or a safety to cover Mr. Smith, otherwise we will be hearing a lot of this phrase this year, “Devin Smith with a wide open touchdown and no one around him.”

Devin has a load of talent and great mentors to teach him the ins and outs of the game and help him mature throughout the process, and since the Jets are sticking with the DC Universe nicknames, who knows, Devin Smith may be “The Flash” the Jets have been needing in Gotham.