Jordan Jefferson is joining Brian Thomas Jr. and Maason Smith in Jacksonville.
The Jaguars are importing the bayou to northeast Florida, it seems.
Jacksonville selected LSU defensive tackle [autotag]Jordan Jefferson[/autotag] with the 116th pick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL draft on Saturday, making him the third former Tiger the team has picked this weekend.
He joins first-round selection [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] and second-round selection [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] in Duval. The move will also pair him and Smith up once again with former LSU defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag], who was hired as the Jags’ linebackers coach this offseason.
Jefferson spent just one season at LSU as a graduate transfer from West Virginia. He began the season as a rotational player but became a starter when [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] went down with injury.
Maason Smith is heading to Jacksonville where he’ll be teammates with Brian Thomas Jr. once more.
[autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] became the fourth former LSU player to be taken in the 2024 NFL draft and the first on Day 2 on Friday. Smith was drafted in the second round by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
After three seasons at LSU, Smith is joining a Jaguars defensive line with a lot of talent but one that’s also a bit thin.
Smith said he thinks Jacksonville is the best situation for him, and that his draft night was the best day of his life so far, according to WJXT’s Jamaal St. Cyr.
“It’s just excitement, man,” Smith said. “I’ve been dreaming about this since I was 6 years old. Just being able to live that dream out, I told my mom yesterday, ‘Ma, it’s different when your dreams are staring you right in the face.’
When I got that call, when they said Jacksonville, my heart just dropped. Because I don’t think there’s a better situation for me to go to. I think that God always has a plan, and I preach about one thing: uncommon favor. And just sticking to that and believing that God’s going to put me in the place I need to be. And he did.
“I’m just grateful for this opportunity, but it was definitely the best day of my life up to this point.”
Maason Smith said that getting drafted by the Jaguars made today "the best day of my life up to this point." pic.twitter.com/gGoOArrPBI
Smith is the second LSU player drafted by the Jaguars. He’ll be reunited with [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag], who Jacksonville took in the first round. He’ll pair back up with former Tigers defensive coordinator [autotag]Matt House[/autotag], who Jacksonville hired as linebackers coach this offseason.
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Jacksonville on Friday night selected its second LSU prospect in as many picks in the 2024 NFL draft, taking Tigers defensive lineman Maason Smith at No. 48 overall.
Jaguars Wire analyzes Jacksonville’s selection of Smith below, reviewing his background, college stats, NFL combine results, projected fit in Jacksonville’s defense and what he said after being picked.
Maason Smith, DL, LSU
Oct 14, 2023; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers defensive tackle Maason Smith (0) pressures Auburn Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne (1) during the second quarter at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports
Background
From Houma (La.) Terrebonne, Smith was a consensus five-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class. He collected 31 scholarship offers from across the country but signed with the blue-blood program fewer than two hours down the road, LSU.
Smith was the prize of Ed Orgeron’s final recruiting class as the Tigers’ head coach. Appropriately, he took the field in nine games and made four starts as a freshman, tallying 19 tackles including five for loss and four sacks, en route to Freshman All-American and Freshman All-SEC honors.
But the momentum Smith quickly generated in college was derailed at the beginning of the 2022 campaign, as he tore the ACL in his left knee against Florida State in Week 1, after leaping to celebrate a tackle by his teammate. Smith missed the rest of the campaign.
Following a one-game suspension to begin the season, related to a pre-Name, Image and Likeness autograph session, Smith returned to start 12 games at defensive tackle for LSU in 2023. He posted 28 tackles with 4.5 for loss, 2.5 sacks and two defended passes before entering the 2024 NFL draft.
College stats
via LSU Sports and Pro Football Focus
47 tackles
6.5 sacks
9.5 tackles for loss
Two defended passes
39 quarterback pressures
25 defensive stops (tackles that constitute a failed play for the offense)
Career snaps: 596 at defensive tackle, 142 at defensive end/edge rusher, 54 at nose tackle
NFL combine results
via MockDraftable
6-foot-5 and 1/8-inch (93rd percentile)
306 pounds (54th percentile)
35-inch arm length (94th percentile)
84 and 5/8-inches (95th percentile)
Nine-inch hand (fourth percentile)
5.01-second 40-yard dash (70th percentile)
1.75-second 10-yard split (49th percentile)
31-inch vertical jump (71st percentile)
7.62-second three-cone drill (56th percentile)
4.69-second 20-yard shuttle (43rd percentile)
Projected fit
Smith primarily aligned as a three-technique defensive tackle in college and best projects at that position long term, with the size/strength combo and athleticism required to both overpower and outmaneuver interior linemen at the pro level.
But following Arik Armstead’s free agency signing in March, snaps will be limited for Smith at the position during his rookie year. He could offer Armstead a breather by playing in a rotation, but as a second-round pick, Smith is likely to move around to contribute as often as Jacksonville is comfortable with deploying him.
New Jaguars defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen is likely to deploy multiple defensive fronts within his scheme, making Smith a candidate to virtually move across the entire interior, from nose tackle to five-technique.
Quotable
“Man, first and foremost I’m really excited. I feel like for me, honestly, I don’t think it could have ended up any better. Not too far from home, very warm, things I’m very much so used to. I had a great visit with the defensive coordinator [Ryan Nielsen] and the defensive line coach [Jeremy Garrett]. You know, I actually had a relationship with the defensive line coach when he was at Vanderbilt University when I was coming from high school. So, from the jump of the conversations that we had, they was just real. And for me, I just like to have realness around me, people that’s not going to shy away from telling me what I need to hear instead of what I want to hear. A lot of guys run from that, man, and I run to it.
“So, just being able to get that feel from them, them also having a lot of confidence in me and the abilities that I bring to the game. My defensive coordinator’s also there, from this past year, Matt House. That’s my guy, been my guy since he got to LSU. I’m just fortunate enough to be able to be around him. And my dawg B.T. [Jaguars first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr.], man. We’re gonna rock the world man, and we’re going to do what we’ve gotta do.” — defensive lineman Maason Smith on his second-round NFL draft selection by Jacksonville
Jaguars NFL Draft grade for selecting LSU DT Maason Smith at No. 48th overall
The Jaguars continue to add young talent loaded with potential along their defensive front by adding LSU defensive lineman Maason Smith with the 48th overall selection.
Smith is a bit of a project who will be a rotational piece early on for a Jaguars defense loaded with young talent with the likes of Josh Allen and Arik Armstead anchoring the unit in Jacksonville.
With good length, excellent athleticism, and high levels of strength, Smith has everything you could want in a developmental talent at the position. Smith wasn’t able to pull it all together in college and struggled at times despite his immense talent. He will be a fun project that could ring as a positive investment in a few years.
Maason Smith and Brian Thomas Jr. will be teammates at the next level, as well.
[autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] is teaming with [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] in Jacksonville.
The Jaguars selected the former LSU defensive tackle in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft with the 48th pick, reuniting him with his former college teammate, whom the Jags drafted with the 23rd pick.
Smith’s decision to declare for the draft after his redshirt sophomore season came as a surprise. He missed nearly the entire 2022 season after tearing his ACL in the season opener, and his production suffered when he returned in 2023.
A former five-star recruit, he has a high-upside as a second-round pick although he will be a project. He’ll join a loaded Jacksonville defensive line that also possesses Josh Allen, Arik Armstead and 2022 first-overall pick Travon Walker.
Smith finished his LSU career having appeared in 22 games, including 17 starts. He totaled 47 tackles (9.5 for loss), 6.5 sacks and a pair of pass breakups.
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Breaking: Jaguars take their second LSU Tiger in as many picks, DL Maason Smith, in second round of 2024 NFL draft
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.
Here’s where Jayden Daniels and other Tigers rank on Mel Kiper Jr.’s final draft board.
We’re just over 48 hours away from the start of the 2024 NFL draft, and that means it’s time for analysts and prognosticators to put forth their final predictions.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. released his final big board on Tuesday ahead of the draft, and when it came to LSU players, there weren’t a lot of changes from what we’ve seen over the past few months.
LSU quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] — the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner — is still ranked second overall and among quarterbacks behind only Caleb Williams. Meanwhile, Daniels’ favorite college targets [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] rank fifth and 17th, respectively, as well as third and fourth among receivers.
The Tigers don’t have as many mid-round prospects as we’ve seen in past years. That trio comprises the only LSU players in the top 75 with [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] coming in at 78th overall followed by [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] at 92.
Those were the only players Kiper had in his top 150, though [autotag]Charles Turner III[/autotag] (No. 11 center), [autotag]Jordan Jefferson[/autotag] (No. 12 defensive tackle), [autotag]Omar Speights[/autotag] (No. 32 inside linebacker), [autotag]Ovie Oghoufo[/autotag] (No. 28 outside linebacker) and [autotag]Andre Sam[/autotag] (No. 30 safety) all cracked the positional rankings.
It likely won’t be as many players as LSU has seen drafted overall in some recent years, but it’s a top-heavy class for the Tigers, and Thursday’s Round 1 should be an eventful one.
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Smith (6-foot-6, 315 pounds) missed almost the entire 2022 season due to a knee injury but showed loads of potential in both 2021 and 2023. All together, he totaled 6.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for a loss in 20 games with the Tigers. Here are the highlights.
Smith is projected to come off the board some time in the fourth round.
Overall, Seattle seems pretty fixated on defensive line prospects. The team has also reportedly met with UNI’s Khristian Boyd, UCLA’s Grayson Murphy, Penn State’s Chop Robinson, Byron Murphy II and T’Vondre Sweat from Texas, Jared Verse from Florida State, Washington’s Bralen Trice, Alabama’s Dallas Turner, Braden Fiske from Florida State and Marshawn Kneeland from Western Michigan.
Could the Saints finally hold that tiger? LSU defensive tackle Maason Smith made a visit to the team facility before the 2024 draft:
Could this be the year the New Orleans Saints make LSU fans happy? The Saints have been linked to several prominent Tigers prospects in the 2024 NFL draft, having hosted wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. at their local pro day while sending a huge contingent of coaches, scouts, and other team personnel to LSU’s pro day workouts.
And we can add LSU defensive tackle Maason Smith to the list of players they’ve met with before the 2024 draft. Smith told The Draft Network’s Justin Melo that the Saints were the first of many formal visits he’s made in recent weeks: “I started off in New Orleans with the Saints last week. I flew to Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. I also met with the Jets and Giants. I went to Minnesota, Buffalo, Green Bay, and Charlotte. I just got back from Arizona. I have a few more visits coming up later this week.”
Smith is from Houma, La., which is an hour’s drive from New Orleans, so he should count as a local prospect and not factor into the limit of 30 players the Saints can host on official visits. Teams are obviously intrigued by the former five-star high school recruit, but questions have been raised by media analysts centering on his lack of production at LSU. The Tigers were too easily beaten at the point of attack for a unit with such a strong recruiting pedigree.
Smith acknowledged that disparity himself, telling Melo: “I’m going to continue getting better at the next level. I think my potential means I can do whatever I need to do to be whoever I want to be. The sky’s the limit for me. I’m looking forward to reaching that potential. … I want to be an impact player for whichever organization drafts me. I’m excited for my rookie season. I want to set the tone for what’s going to be a successful career.”
Still, Smith finished his LSU career with 944 defensive snaps played in 20 games — with 6.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss, respectable numbers for a defensive tackle on that sample size. But you’d like to have seen more from him. Maybe NFL coaching in a professional environment can get more out of him. Smith’s projections are all over the place but he’s generally expected to be picked in the third or fourth rounds of this year’s draft. Maybe he ends up staying in Louisiana.
