ATHENS — Arian Smith’s speed was going to get him selected in his 2025 NFL Draft stock — that was a given.

But Smith’s toughness, attitude and versatility proved just as important in elevating his status to a fourth-round pick for the New York Jets.

New York Jets general manager Darren Mougey started the conversation about his franchise selecting Smith talking about his elite speed, as expected, in the post-2025 NFL Draft press conference.

“The elite speed, he has an explosive element, (and) when you have a piece like that on offense, it allows you to do more,” Mougey said, echoing many of the sentiments UGA offensive coordinator Mike Bobo expressed in a Sugar Bowl press conference.

“Whether you are taking the top off (a defense), or whether you are taking shots, you’re getting him on speed sweeps, quick smokes (passes), just elite speed.”

But yes, Mougey acknowledged, Smith did have some issues with dropped passes during the regular season.

“There are things we can help him to improve, those drops,” Mougey said, “that is an element of his game, but the elite speed is a hard trait to pass on.”

And those drops, New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said, can be fixed.

“The one thing about this player, he’s very self-aware, and I think it starts there, and he knows he has to get better at that,” Glenn said. “I’ve lived through this with Jameson Williams, when he came into the league, everybody talked about his drops and he worked on it tirelessly, every day in practice, and I see this player doing the same thing.

“If you’re self-aware and you understand you have an issue, and you know you can get better, that’s the start, so I know this player is going to get better at that.”

Smith, to his credit, was up front with media and NFL staffs during his interviews during the NFL Draft process, which started in Mobile at the Senior Bowl, and carried through the NFL Combine and UGA Pro Day.

“I made some plays in my career, but I see myself as a player who can get a lot better in a lot of ways, and my ceiling hasn’t been touched,” Smith told DawgNation at the Senior Bowl. “I want to earn a chance to display my talent and reach my potential as a player.”

Further Smith said, the way to respond to the drops is “you put your head down and work and get better every way you can.”

Smith, who overcame a series of injuries early in his Georgia career, explained his mindset and the Jets listened.

“I learned that things are not given, they are earned,” Smith said during his Senior Bowl interview with DawgNation.

“So if you want to win the games, it’s not going to happen just because you’re good — you have to put in the work.

Smith did just that at the Senior Bowl and with his Georgia Pro Day workout, as the Jets’ GM noted in the franchise’s 2025 NFL Draft press conference.

“He had a good week at the Senior Bowl, as well, so he’s impressed,” Mougey said. “Good Senior Bowl, good Pro Day, we saw a lot of good things on film, so really excited about Arian.”

Glenn is, too, and for more reasons than just his explosive nature at receiver.

“Any time you have an offensive player, especially at that position, be able to help you out on special teams, that’s huge plus,” Glenn said. “Just talking about building a roster for game day, for him having the ability to do that, that is critical for us.

“The thing is, we know the trait he has is going to be tough, in a number of different situations, offensively, take the top off, open it up for Garrett (Wilson) and all those guys, but then being able to go out there and being a gunner, being able to call fair catches, and then making plays in those situations.”

Smith’s attitude, Glenn indicated, is everything.

“He understands that (special teams) can be a part of his game, for him to be able to help this team,” Glen said, “And when you have guys willing to do that, man, that’s special.”