The Jaguars exited the 2024 NFL draft with nine new contributors, bolstering their roster with potential after signing eight free agents between March and April in their offseason-long effort to reclaim postseason status this year.
How impactful might Jacksonville’s rookie class be as the team chases a playoff spot?
Jaguars Wire is projecting roles and rookie production for each of Jacksonville’s 2024 draft picks, continuing the series by focusing on the Jaguars’ second-round, No. 48 overall selection, defensive lineman Maason Smith.
Maason Smith’s projected role with the Jaguars
Smith’s top-50 selection by Jacksonville was initially met with surprise, considering both the Jaguars’ noted need for cornerback help and Smith’s consensus third-round projection by NFL draft media.
But the Jaguars coveted Smith with the future of their defensive line in mind and got in on the second round’s defensive tackle run, with four taken before Smith and two after.
Jacksonville was fascinated by his measurables, too. Smith stands at 6-foot-5 1/8-inch (92nd percentile among NFL combine defensive tackles since 1999), 306 pounds (54th percentile), with 35-inch arms (94th percentile) and an 84 5/8-inch wingspan (95th percentile).
He posted a 5.01-second 40-yard dash result (70th percentile), a 31-inch vertical jump (71st percentile) and a 7.62-second 3-cone drill run (56th percentile) during the combine’s athletic testing.
Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke highlighted Smith’s physical profile, his height and length, specifically after making the pick.
“To me it’s a huge advantage, especially if they use it. He’s a young man that uses it,” Baalke said in April. “When I was in San Francisco we drafted [DeForest] Buckner and [Arik] Armstead, both taller interior players. We studied Chris Jones, one of the better interior players in the league right now with that kind of size and that kind of length.
“I’m not saying this guy is going to be any of those three, but he certainly has a chance to be a very good football player. I think all those traits play to his advantage, but now you’ve got to take advantage of them and use them.”
Jacksonville won’t necessarily rush Smith into utilizing his traits before sharpening his technique.
While Day 2 draft status often foreshadows a significant role as a rookie, Smith will likely occupy a rotational function in year one with Armstead, a free-agent signee, and three-year Jaguar Roy Robertson-Harris starting and/or playing significantly at his projected positions, between the three and five-technique alignments on the defensive line.
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson believes Smith will benefit from developing behind established veterans before taking on a bigger role in the future.
“I think it’s huge to have guys that have been there, done that, have battled adversity themselves through the course of their careers,” said Pederson. “It’s a really good room, there’s some great leaders in there. [Smith is] coming into that room and he can just soak up all of that knowledge and just learn from those guys.”
Still, Smith could find himself playing meaningfully as a rookie with Armstead and Robertson-Harris each turning 31 years old this year. He could help keep the veterans fresh by factoring into specific packages such as early-down run support, where his frame and power can do a lot of heavy lifting.
Maason Smith’s projected rookie stats
Projection via Jaguars Wire
- 25 total tackles
- Two sacks
- 4.5 tackles for loss
- Two batted passes
25 total tackles would have ranked No. 10 among rookie defensive linemen (including defensive ends) in 2023, two sacks would have been tied for No. 13, and 4.5 tackles for loss would have ranked No. 8, per StatHead.
Rankings for batted passes weren’t available for rookie defensive linemen. But considering Smith’s height and wingspan, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him knock a few passes down at the line of scrimmage.
Quarterback pressures are quantifiable but not as easy to project individually as other statistics (considering volatile factors such as snap share). Smith’s pressure rate will be worth monitoring and should be more revealing than his sack number regarding his ability to rush the quarterback as a rookie.
