New York Jets: Drafting Devin Smith will help offense

The New York Jets have had one of the worst offenses in the NFL in the past few years, but that is beginning to change.

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Starting last offseason, the Jets have been working on adding talent at the skill positions. Eric Decker was a big-name signing in 2014. Decker had fantastic stats with Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, which led to him signing a lucrative contract. Decker’s numbers had a noticeable drop in the 2014 season, but he was a massive upgrade at the position.

In the 2014 NFL Draft, the Jets also drafted a talented receiving tight end in Jace Amaro. In his rookie season, Amaro had some growing pains making the leap from college to the NFL, but he showed signs of good potential.

This offseason, the Jets acquired wide receiver Brandon Marshall from the Chicago Bears to strengthen the wide receiver corps even more. Marshall has been one of the best receivers in recent years. Prior to last season, Marshall had seven straight seasons of 1,000+ receiving yards.

In 2014, there was a drop off for Marshall, as he was dealing with injuries for most of the season, and also missed three games. Last season, Marshall still totaled 61 receptions, 721 receiving yards, and eight receiving touchdowns. The combination of Marshall and Decker on the outside will be a hassle for opposing secondary’s in 2015.

While Decker and Marshall are both very good wide receivers, neither are known for their big-play ability.

In the 2012 NFL Draft, the Jets attempted to find a big-play threat in the draft, as they used their second-round pick on Stephen Hill. Hill turned out to be a total bust, and left the Jets without a threat down the field.

In the 2015 NFL Draft, the Jets used their second-round pick to once again find themselves a homerun threat.

With the 37^th pick in the draft, the Jets selected wide receiver Devin Smith from Ohio St. Smith was a big part of the Buckeyes’ National Championship team in 2014, and the Jets will hope he is a deep threat for them in 2015.

Jan 12, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Devin Smith (9) cradles the trophy after their win over the Oregon Ducks in the 2015 CFP National Championship Game at AT&T Stadium. Ohio State won 42-20. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

In four seasons at Ohio St, Smith totaled 121 receptions, 2,503 receiving yards, 30 receiving touchdowns, and a great 20.7 yards per catch average.

In his senior season, Smith really emerged as a talented player, as he totaled 33 receptions, 931 receiving yards, 12 receiving touchdowns, and 28.2 yards per catch. Having a homerun threat like Smith in the Jets’ offense will bring a totally new element to the offense.

The Jets’ quarterback situation is still a bit unclear in 2015, as Geno Smith, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and maybe even rookie Bryce Petty could see action. Regardless of who the starting quarterback is in 2015, they will have plenty of weapons to choose from.

Management is doing a very nice job of surrounding their quarterbacks with talent to help them succeed as much as possible. It is very difficult to obtain a franchise quarterback, but the Jets are doing all they can to help the ones they have succeed.

Next: Who is the best first-round pick ever by the Jets?

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