The Jacksonville Jaguars’ defense may have struggled in 2020, but several young players showed promise on the unit. One of them was defensive lineman Dawuane Smoot, who tested the open market briefly today but will remain a Jag.
Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Smoot will be signing a two-year deal worth $14 million to stay in Duval.
Smoot, 26, was drafted by the Jags in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. While he got off to a rocky start, over time he got better at getting to the quarterback, garnering 11.5 sacks in the past two years.
The #Jaguars are bringing back DE Dawuane Smoot, source said, giving him a 2-year deal worth $14M. Another DL today.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 15, 2021
With the Jags retaining Smoot, they are keeping a versatile piece who led the team in sacks last season with 5.5 and had 25 tackles. He’ll now be under the tutelage of new defensive coordinator Joe Cullen, who many have praised because of his ability to reach a player’s maximum potential. That said, maybe Smoot will take another step 2021, just as fans have seen him gradually do the last couple of seasons.