My favorite part: "Friday was the start of Glenn’s first rookie camp as a head coach, and he ran it far differently than his predecessor. Under former coach Robert Saleh, the draft picks normally didn’t participate in team drills. All of the Jets draft picks took part in 11-on-11 team competition on the first day." To see how players react in real time the truest picture is seen with both offense and defense on the same field. SPORTSFOOTBALLNEW YORK JETS Jets rookies get their first taste of minicamp under new coach Aaron Glenn WATCH NOW • 1:10 Jets start first day of rookie camp The New York Jets' top draft picks participated in the first day of rookie camp on Friday. Credit: Ed Quinn By Al Iannazzoneal.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_IannazzoneUpdated May 9, 2025 4:38 pm FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Armand Membou spent much more time studying the Jets’ playbook than he did his new contract. But the right tackle was pleasantly surprised at the amount of his rookie deal. “It was pretty cool, especially once I looked at all them zeros on the page,” Membou said on Friday following the first day of Jets rookie minicamp. “I didn't realize how much money I was getting. It was definitely a blessing for sure.” Membou, the seventh overall pick, signed a four-year deal on Thursday worth nearly $32 million. The offensive tackle said that he has “no big plans” for what he’ll do with his money other than “just taking care of my family.” Membou’s immediate plans, however, are getting to know the Jets' plays and players. He spent some time talking with left tackle Olu Fashanu, a rookie last season, and picked his brain on what to expect. “I just asked him about how it was like for him last year,” Membou said. “He was just telling me what it was like for him and the life of a rookie.” Membou, the first draft pick of the Darren Mougey-Aaron Glenn era, is expected to fill a huge void at right tackle. In Fashanu and Membou, the Jets hope that they have their bookend tackles for many years. Friday was the start of Glenn’s first rookie camp as a head coach, and he ran it far differently than his predecessor. Under former coach Robert Saleh, the draft picks normally didn’t participate in team drills. All of the Jets draft picks took part in 11-on-11 team competition on the first day. Membou moved well. Tight end and second-round pick Mason Taylor made some plays in the passing game. The speed of fourth-round pick Arian Smith was obvious as the wide receiver showed the ability to shake defenders and create separation. Receiver Arian Smith at Jets rookie minicamp on Friday. Credit: Ed Quinn Smith, a former track star at Georgia, ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Smith, who said he once ran a 4.28 at Georgia, believed he could have ran faster. But his goal now is to show that there’s more to his game. “I strive to be an all-around receiver,” Smith said. “Speed is my strength, but I can be so much better than just speed, and that's what I want to be — much better than speed.” Smith is looking forward to playing for Glenn and receivers coach Shawn Jefferson. Smith appreciates that the coaches talk to you “straight up” and believes they will get the best out of him. “He's gonna coach you hard and that's what I want,” Smith said of Glenn. “I want to be coached hard. I want to be demanded. I want them to pull out nothing but the best. I want them to push me to be the best I can be, not just a one-trick pony. Everything that they want me to do, I want to be able to do it.” Smith said that he and Jefferson built a relationship during an official visit. When the Jets drafted Smith, he said that Jefferson told him they know what he can do and how they’re going to use him. “He’s going to coach me hard, just like Coach Glenn,” Smith said. “He’s gonna make sure I'm pushing myself to be the best version of myself that I can be.” Undrafted free agents The Jets officially have signed 15 undrafted rookie free agents. The offensive players are quarterback Brady Cook (Missouri), receivers Quentin Skinner (Kansas), Jamaal Pritchett (South Alabama) and Dymere Miller (Rutgers), running back Donovan Edwards (Michigan), center Gus Hartwig (Purdue) and guard Leander Wiegand, who played in Germany. On defense, the Jets signed tackles Payton Page (Clemson) and Fatorma Mulbah (West Virginia), linebackers Ja’Markis Weston (Florida), Aaron Smith (South Carolina State) and Jared Bartlett (Cincinnati), and defensive backs Dean Clark (Fresno State) and Jordan Clark (Notre Dame), the latter is the son of former NFL defensive back and current ESPN analyst Ryan Clark. The Jets also signed ex-Mississippi kicker Caden Davis. Two-minute drill Adrian Martinez, the Jets’ practice squad quarterback, and Cook ran the offense on Friday . . . Linebacker Giovanni Williams, the younger brother of Jets defenders Quinnen and Quincy Williams, is among the 12 tryout players that the Jets have in camp. By Al Iannazzone al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
Holy cow another Williams??!? thanks for sharing, maybe some miracle will strike and Arian Smith will learn to catch the ball and dominate. I’m gonna hope for that
Thanks for posting. Trying not to get too excited but this "running a tight ship" style from Glenn gives me hope.
Man.. I think we finally have the right CS in place. I think this team is going to surprise a lot of people. First time I've been excited about a season in a very very long time.
You are always on the wrong side of it, Brook. Go against your gut, that's the only way you are going to win at this point. Of all the years you have optimism, you pick this one to be cautious. Fired. lol
I'm cautiously optimistic about Smith. He seems to have a good head on his shoulders. From what I've heard and seen he's humble and knows what he needs to improve. A hallmark of our last regime was drafting immature head cases at WR. Mims, Moore, Corley - guys who largely thought everyone else was the issue, not them. Pretty funny considering how much Douglas used to harp on looking for "A+ character" guys. There's also the fact that 99% of our fanbase hates the pick and fading the fan hivemind is generally a sound move. I'm not saying Smith is going to be a superstar or anything, but I'm pretty sure we're going to look back and realize he wasn't as disastrous a pick as most are making him out to be. I also want to comment on his speed. Lots of guys run fast 40s but don't play as fast as their times indicate. That's not Smith. The guy absolutely flies. He looks like DeSean Jackson out there where it's clear he has a gear that 99% of other players don't have. He is at the elite tier of springiness and being light on his feet. It's apparent not just in how he runs but how he jumps while moving. He just kind of floats into the air with zero effort even when he doesn't have time to properly set up a jump.
I hope you’re right! Can’t teach that kind of speed, but I was not a fan of drafting a WR who can’t catch…of course at this time of year it’s all optimism, so we’ll have to wait and see if he can shake that issue in real games. If he can, it’s a steal of a pick. But if he’s another Stephen Hill, then it’s a waste…I still have visions of Hill wide open by himself with the ball hitting his hands and then going right through them. Man…before GW, who is the last good WR we drafted? Santana Moss? Laveraneous Coles? Wesley Walker? That’s about it on the list, right? Though a shout out to the undrafted Wayne Chrebet…still one of my favorite Jets of all time and usually the jersey I wear to games…
Yep good point. But again, this year, my motto is @Cman69 motto. Show me something before getting me excited. Honestly, if we have a winning record beginning of December, I will be excited. Until then I will be very cautious. I got burned many times. Not this year.
Great analysis. I despised the pick but you’re definitely right in the fact that the guy is a complete burner on the field. If you get that open in the NFL you generally catch the ball. A lot of his drops at Georgia was running conventional receiver routes that hopefully the staff doesn’t put him in position to run in year one.
I'm just giving you a hard time. I know we both are rooting this is finally the time we get it right. I'm pulling a you from prior years. I'm all in. Let the heartbreak begin! lol
I'll tell you what, watching Brady Cook throw in this video, reminds me of watching Rocky Balboa training at the meat plant. No pads or anything but he's throwing darts -
It does say something about Arian Smith that even with all the drops he still had 48 receptions in 14 games. He wasn't reliable catching the ball but they still kept throwing it to him... likely because he was open. It would be one thing if it was a "directional-school" in the MAC or something, yeah maybe he was the only guy they had. But this is Georgia, they had several options, and he was getting open in the SEC
Well, can he read a defense, sense the rush, throw into a tight window? It's easy to throw great passes to a wide-open receiver with no rush and no coverage. Many other skills are needed though, to be a great NFL QB.
One good sign is that people are saying that the coaches are actually teaching the players. Outside of a few defensive players, Saleh's regime didn't have much success in improving players. On offense, I would say they were batting 0% - no offensive players improved under Saleh.
