The Jaguars selected LSU defensive tackle Maason Smith with the No. 48 pick of the second round in the 2024 NFL draft on Friday evening.
Smith is the second former Tiger Jacksonville picked in as many rounds this year. The Jaguars took LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. with the No. 23 pick in the first round, after trading down with Minnesota from No. 17.
Smith, 6-foot-5 and 1/8-inch, 306 pounds, was a consensus five-star prospect who signed with LSU in the class of 2021, from Houma (La.) Terrebonne.
He spent three seasons with the Tigers, appearing in 22 games with 17 starts and tallying 47 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss, two defended passes and 39 quarterback pressures, the latter stat provided by Pro Football Focus.
Smith’s 2022 campaign was limited to one game as he tore the ACL in his left knee in Week 1. Before that, he earned Freshman All-Ameria and Freshman All-SEC recognition for his four-sack, five-tackles-for-loss rookie campaign in 2021.
When he returned in 2023, his first season as a weekly starter, Smith recorded 28 tackles including 4.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks.
Smith was one of the tallest and longest defensive linemen at the 2024 NFL combine. His height ranks in the 93rd percentile among defensive tackles since 1999, and his 35-inch arms rank in the 94th percentile, according to MockDraftable.
Smith displayed impressive athleticism at the event too, posting a 5.01-second 40-yard dash (70th percentile), 31-inch vertical jump (71st percentile) and 7.62-second three-cone drill (56th percentile).
In Jacksonville, Smith will likely compete for snaps at nose tackle or defensive end as a rookie following the Jaguars’ free agent signing of Arik Armstead, who primarily projects as a three-technique in defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen’s scheme. Smith mostly aligned at three-tech in college.
Smith has experience at all three positions, though, and reasonably could align at either spot long-term with plus-size and plus-athleticism for an interior trenchman.
A connection of note: Recently-hired Jaguars inside linebackers coach, Matt House, coached Smith at LSU for two seasons. He served as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator/linebackers coach from 2022-23.
Jaguars’ remaining 2024 NFL draft picks
- Round 3, Pick 96 (compensatory selection)
- Round 4, Pick 114
- Round 4, Pick 116 (via New Orleans)
- Round 5, Pick 153
- Round 5, Pick 167 (via Minnesota)
- Round 6, Pick 212
- Round 7, Pick 236
This is a breaking news story that will be updated.
