3 Free Agents Who Could Still Shake Up Jets' WR Depth Chart, Including One With Geno Smith Ties

After last season's wideout-related struggles, the New York Jets could use another veteran's help.

The Jets can still sign a veteran WR like DeAndre Hopkins, who would give the depth chart quite a shake-up. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The NFL offseason is about to accelerate with May's arrival, leaving Jets fans with plenty to look forward to in the coming months. Upcoming events, such as rookie minicamps and organized team activities (OTAs), will give the media and fans their first opportunity to see what the Jets' offseason moves look like, setting the tone for the 2026 campaign.

Wide receiver was an area the Jets needed help in when the offseason began, eventually addressing it by using this year's 30th overall pick on Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr. The former Hoosier is talented and will look great alongside Garrett Wilson; however, New York still has plenty of WR adjacent question marks beyond the star duo.

Garrett Wilson is one of the NFL's best young WRs, but the Jets need more help beyond him and Omar Cooper Jr. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Were Adonai Mitchell's end-of-season struggles the new norm? Are Isaiah Williams and Arian Smith ready to take the next step? Can one of the undrafted rookie WRs the Jets signed make a surprise impact?

With those questions in mind, New York might be interested in signing another veteran wideout before the offseason further ramps up. Here are three available free-agent wideouts who could help the Jets with that task.

1. DeAndre Hopkins

Despite being a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro wideout, DeAndre Hopkins is still looking for work in May. The 33-year-old wideout most recently played with the Ravens in 2025, converting 22 catches into 330 receiving yards and two touchdowns across 17 games. It was far from the best performance of his career, but Hopkins showed enough to prove he's got gas left in the tank.

VINTAGE DEANDRE HOPKINS.

BALvsBUF on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/eUbJcNCxkr

— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2025

Hopkins would look great as the Jets' WR3 behind Wilson and Cooper. The former Clemson Tiger won't rip off 100-yard performances in the near future, but he finished with 40-plus yards three times last season and even averaged 15.0 yards per reception—the third-best mark of his 13-year career. His 81.3 offense grade on Pro Football Focus was his best mark of the last five seasons.

Lastly, Hopkins already looks at home whenever he faces the Jets as a visitor. He has a whopping 201 yards and three TDs on 16 catches in two games against Gang Green at MetLife Stadium, so it'd be nice to be on the other side of the equation. Mougey can make that happen.

2. Tyler Lockett

With Smith as the Jets' QB1 next season, adding a familiar face to his arsenal is a good idea. The veteran signal-caller has formed bonds with plenty of pass-catchers throughout his destination-filled career, which includes the impressive chemistry between him and long-time Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett.

During Smith's run as Seattle's full-time starter (2022-24), Lockett amassed 212 receptions for 2,577 yards and 16 TDs in 50 games. While that didn't match the crafty playmaker's production with Russell Wilson (who reportedly met with the Jets earlier this week), an average of 842.3 receiving yards and 5.3 touchdowns per season is nothing to scoff at.

Reuniting Geno Smith with Tyler Lockett could be a good idea for the Jets. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Even though both would leave Seattle in 2025, they reunited in Sin City. After the Titans granted his release request in October, Lockett joined Smith on the Raiders' roster shortly after. The 33-year-old pass-catcher registered 22 receptions, 221 yards and a touchdown in 10 outings after the move, on pace for a 37-376-2 stat line in a 17-game season. He would've ranked second among Jets WRs if he had those hypothetical numbers last season.

With seven games of postseason under his belt, too, Lockett is the type of experienced wideout who gives the Jets more security as the WR3 than Mitchell or Williams can consistently provide.

3. Deebo Samuel

After six years in the Bay Area, Deebo Samuel was traded to the Commanders last season. Despite the change in scenery, the former All-Pro playmaker was an effective contributor, posting a 72-727-5 stat line while making 72.7% of catches across 16 contests. He even had three 70-plus-yard games in his first five outings to begin the season, proving he can still make an impact across decent stretches.

The Jets' WR room would benefit from a 700-yard performance from Deebo Samuel. | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Omar Cooper Jr. has great potential, but he's still unproven and might not be ready for the WR2 spot just yet. Signing Samuel would help mitigate any risks for the Jets, as they'd have a proven veteran on their hands who's ready to step in if Cooper needs time to acclimate to the NFL. Garrett Wilson also likely wouldn't mind having a former 1,400-yard receiver to help take some heat off him.

Samuel isn't as fast or physically dominant as he once was, but he doesn't have to be as the Jets' potential WR2/3. A performance similar to last year's with the Commanders would be more than fine, as it was a much better production than anything New York's receiver situation produced in 2025.