2025 NFL Draft: Biggest reaches of Day 3, including Arian Smith to the New York Jets

The New York Jets made one of the boldest bets of Day 3: The Jets selected Georgia wide receiver Arian Smith — ranked No. 343 on the PFF Big Board — with pick No. 110 overall.

Several other high upside swings: Other notable moves included the Ravens drafting tackle Carson Vinson from Alabama A&M and the Bears adding Michigan State guard Luke Newman.

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Day 3 of the NFL Draft is all about chasing upside.

With most of the blue-chip prospects off the board, teams take big swings in hopes of landing hidden gems who can develop into impact players.

It’s hard to consider any of these picks true reaches given the nature of the later rounds, but some selections — like the New York Jets’ bet on wide receiver Arian Smith — stood out as particularly bold. Here’s a look at some of the biggest gambles from Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft.

110. New York Jets: WR Arian Smith, Georgia (Big Board Rank: 343)

Smith has plenty of athletic tools, and the Jets are clearly betting on his upside after he finished at No. 343 on the PFF Big Board. He stepped into a full-time role for the first time in 2024, earning a 57.1 PFF grade with 10 drops on 48 receptions and just a 22% contested-catch rate.

160. San Francisco 49ers: S Marques Sigle, Kansas State (Big Board Rank: 318)

Sigle projects as a nickel cornerback who isn’t afraid to play physical against the run. Last season, Sigle posted a career-best 85.2 run-defense grade.

195. Chicago Bears: G Luke Newman, Michigan State (Big Board Rank: 340)

After two FCS All-American seasons at Holy Cross, Newman was able to make a smooth transition to the Big Ten. Despite the jump in competition, Newman was up to the challenge, as he didn’t have a single game where his PFF grade went below 60.0.

141. Baltimore Ravens: T Carson Vinson, Alabama A&M (Big Board Rank: 277)

Vinson is likely to slide inside to guard at the next level after playing tackle at Alabama A&M. He posted an 81.7 pass-blocking grade last season while allowing just 10 total pressures.

157. Miami Dolphins: S Dante Trader Jr., Maryland (Big Board Rank: 292)

Miami addresses the secondary again with consecutive picks in the fifth round. Trader has some versatility to play in the box, slot and deep. He improved his tackling woes, reducing his missed tackle rate from 18.3% in 2023 to 4.8% in 2024.