The Jets don’t have much proven depth at wide receiver heading into 2020. Breshad Perriman, Denzel Mims and Jamison Crowder are the favorites to start, but behind them are a bunch of unknowns. Those on the outside looking in see that as a problem for New York.
Vyncint Smith, on the other hand, sees an opportunity for the taking.
The Jets signed Smith off the Texans practice squad last season at the advice of Demaryius Thomas, who spent some time with the 23-year-old in Houston. Smith played sparingly, but he showed some promise and even made four starts. Overall, Smith caught 17 passes for 225 yards in 13 games. Eleven of those catches were for first downs. A speedster, Smith also ran for a touchdown and 52 yards on three rushing attempts.
While Smith doesn’t have the credentials to be relied upon just yet, season-ending injuries to both Quincy Enunwa and Josh Bellamy have opened up the door for him. This offseason, Smith has been working with Houston area trainer Justin Allen, who is helping the third-year wide receiver to refine his route-running.
“I watch the other receivers like Davante Adams, he’s not the fastest receiver, but he knows how to control everything to make the defensive back go where he wants him to go to get open,” Smith told the Houston Chronicle. “I’m excited with everything that’s going on and trying to stay focused and get ready for the season. It’s going to be a big year.”
Behind Perriman, Crowder and Mims, Smith has a chance to be the No. 4 wide receiver on New York’s depth chart. What works to his advantage is that he’s the most tenured outside receiver on the Jets roster, even if he has just 13 games under his belt. Still, he’ll have more of a feel for Adam Gase’s offense than his counterparts and could be part of the solution to the team’s lack of explosive plays.
With a 4.38 40-yard dash time, Smith’s reputation as a speedster precedes him. That was put on display when he scored a 19-yard touchdown on a designed run in the Jets’ 31-6 loss to the Eagles in October 2019. Smith reached 22.01 miles per hour on the touchdown.
Now, he just needs more reps and targets. If he can get those, it sounds like he has some pretty big goals for the 2020 season.