Jacksonville Jaguars select Maason Smith in 2nd round of 2024 NFL Draft
LSU defensive tackle Maason Smith was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 48 overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
In 2023, Smith returned from a season-ending injury a year. He played in a career-high number of games for LSU. The 6-foot-6, 315-pound tackle notched 28 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and two pass breakups in 12 games.
Smith tore his ACL early in the 2022 season opener against Florida State. The severe injury caused him to miss the remainder of the season. He was coming off of a 2021 freshman season during which he earned a spot on the Freshman All-American team. He racked up 19 tackles, 5.0 tackles for a loss and 4.0 sacks in nine games played. Over two seasons, he totaled 46 tackles with 6.5 sacks.
The former Houma (La.) Terrebonne High star was a five-star prospect in the class of 2021, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. Smith was the No. 11 overall prospect in the country and No. 4 defensive tackle in America. He was also the No. 1 prospect in Louisiana.
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What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Maason Smith
As far as what he’ll look like in the NFL, NFL.com‘s Lance Zierlein believes he has a future as a contributor.
“Traits-based prospect with an exciting ceiling but a concerning lack of experience and consistency,” Zierlein writes. “Smith plays tall and lacks the anchor and hand usage to keep from being mashed out of gaps by double-teams. The measurables and playing style have him best suited to play as a 3-4 defensive end, where he will have an opportunity to better utilize his length at the point of attack.
“Smith flashes as a pass rusher with a healthy blend of footwork and victories to the edge, which should keep improving with additional skill work. He has early round traits but middle-round tape. Smith requires scheme fit and patience if he’s to reach his potential, but he should be no worse than a viable backup.”