With the only constant to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 2022 calendar year being change, expectations are low for the coming regular season. From coaches to players, and even some front office staff, the team is looking to change their identity in a hurry to distance themselves from the disastrous 2020 and 2021 campaigns they put together.
One player who has been with the Jaguars through it all is veteran defensive end Dawuane Smoot, who has been in Jacksonville since 2017 when they drafted him in the third round out of Illinois. He was a linebacker back then, but had his position changed to defensive end this offseason when the new coaching staff took over.
In his comments to the media after Saturday’s loss, Smoot made it clear that he is still acclimating to his new spot up front, and is leaning on his teammates for help as he continues to learn the ins and outs of playing on the defensive line.
“It’s been completely different,” Smoot explained of the role change. “I’m playing a position I’ve never played. I’m playing a position that 300-pounders play, but I’m getting it done. I’m trying to figure it out. You know, every day I’m working with Roy [Robertson-Harris] and working with Foley [Folorunso Fatukasi] every day to try and get better.”
It will likely take several weeks of full-paced regular season games to accurately assess how well Smoot will be able to perform at his new position, but the effort to adjust and fit in has certainly been there from him in training camp. He is listed as a backup on the current official depth chart, but with a few stand-out plays in Atlanta on Thursday, the coaching staff may decide he is worth a shot as a starter once the pressure is on and the games start to count.