Jets move up for Bryce Petty, but he’s not beating out Geno Smith … this year

No, Bryce Petty is not the savior for this season. But the New York Jets’ fourth-round pick, who is used to waiting his turn, is a name to watch for 2016.

This is the theme of the Jets’ offseason: It’s on you, Geno Smith.

They traded for Brandon Marshall and drafted speed ball Devin Smith. They added an offensive lineman and a running back. The defense might be one of the most talented units in the league, capable of winning 10 games with average QB play. If Smith can’t make it happen now in New York, he never will.

Petty will be handled differently with the Jets than Smith was when he came in. Smith was forced into the lineup too early, still needing time to adjust from a gimmicky college offense but not adequately getting it. Petty, who first called a play in the huddle and ran snaps from under center this winter (as in, not in games), should not see the field in meaningful time this season.

After all, he waited 1,786 days to get his chance to start for Art Briles at Baylor and can wait, oh, 450 or so days before he’s in the mix to compete for the Jets’ job if Smith can’t hang onto it. That’s the incubation period coaches and scouts believe Petty needs to get up to NFL speed, but he has a lot of intriguing skills to work with.

Petty also has way more of a New York-type of attitude, a devil-may-care confidence with the right dose of charm, along with a strong work ethic. Those are things Smith has not had. He’s not a gym rat. He’s not comfortable in front of a microphone, and perhaps not in a huddle or in the locker room when it comes time to rally the troops. Still, Smith can be viewed as likeable, but he doesn’t have the same easiness in those situations as Petty does. It’s easy to spot when you spend time talking to him.

Will Petty be a hit? No one knows. There was a ton of debate — some loved him, others did not — in the scouting community. But he’s not a bad risk at this point in the draft, with talk of him perhaps going as high as a pick in the 30s.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm