Tag: maason smith

PHOTOS: Maason Smith impresses during NFL scouting combine workouts

Maason Smith delivered one of the better combines at his position in recent memory.

LSU defensive tackle [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] entered the week in Indianapolis needing a strong showing at the NFL scouting combine to boost his draft stock after a lackluster final college season.

He did just that on Friday as the defensive linemen underwent testing, delivering one of the best combine performances at his position in recent memory.

Smith’s “relative athletic score” unofficially came in at 8.99 out of 10. That would rank him 164th out of the 1,620 defensive tackles to go through the combine since 1987.

His 6-foot-5 frame is a major reason for that, but he also delivered a 5.01 40-yard dash, which is pretty impressive relative to his size. His 31-inch vertical was also a standout.

Smith is a former five-star recruit, but injury limited him during his LSU career. Still, he could prove to be a high-value mid-round pick in next month’s draft.

For now, here are all the photos from Smith’s combine workout.

Here’s how 5 of the Cowboys DT, LB interviewees did at the combine

Here’s a closer look at how several of the DTs and LBs the Cowboys met with performed in their testing at Thursday’s combine. | From @Larimore_Ben

The NFL Scouting Combine workouts are officially underway for 321 college football invitees at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The first wave of prospects, defensive linemen and linebackers, took the field for testing and drills on Thursday giving scouts and front office personnel a good look at who these players are as athletes on an even testing platform.

This however, was not the first opportunity to study these prospects. Teams, including the Dallas Cowboys’ contingent, have been conducting both formal and informal interviews with players of interest since the first wave of players arrived on Monday. Here’s a continuously updated tracker of who the Cowboys are meeting with.

A formal interview, of which teams are limited to 45 across the week-long event, is scheduled and takes place in an official meeting room with personnel staff, while informal interviews can happen at any time, anywhere.

The Cowboys had eight formal interviews prior to Thursday’s workouts. Five of them were defensive tackles, and three were linebackers.

Here’s a closer look at some of Thursday’s best performers the Cowboys have formally met with, and one they probably should after today’s results. Note, two of the three linebackers formally interviewed by the Cowboys did not workout; Michigan LB Junior Colson and Missouri LB Ty’Ron Hopper.

2024 NFL draft: Updated first-round mock projections ahead of NFL combine

We’re looking at the first-round 2024 NFL mock draft projection for all 32 teams ahead of the Scouting Combine

Philadelphia made significant changes to the coaching staff following a historic collapse that saw the Eagles lose 6 of their final seven games.

The positive vibes are back around the NovaCare Complex following the additions of Vic Fangio (DC) and Kellen Moore (OC).

It’s never too early to look ahead at the NFL draft, and with so many holes on defense, Howie Roseman has the assets to retool the roster.

With a massive week of scouting and pre-free agency discussions set to begin, we’re projecting the first round of April’s NFL draft for all 32 teams.

Mel Kiper calls LSU’s Maason Smith an ‘intriguing’ draft prospect

Maason Smith was never quite able to live up to his potential at LSU, but he could do so at the next level.

LSU has a lot of offensive talent at the top of this year’s draft class, but perhaps the biggest question mark in this year’s group heading pro is defensive tackle [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag].

Smith is a former five-star recruit who impressed as a true freshman in 2021. But a torn ACL cost him nearly the entire 2022 season, and while he returned in 2023, he struggled to find the production many expected of him.

In spite of that, he declared for the draft this offseason, and ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper evaluated what he called an “intriguing” draft profile on a recent episode of First Draft.

“Maason Smith is an intriguing guy,” Kiper said, per On3. “He was a elite recruit right? He showed in practice he could dominate, they were raving about him coming this season. A couple of years ago, the first game, the ACL injury. This year, the suspension early and then a little banged up in the last three games this past season. He was getting after the quarterback, the explosiveness, everything. We saw the quickness when he was healthy, he was coming to the forefront late in the year. The production, the consistency wasn’t there.

“Why? Because he was hurt, then banged up and when he was out there playing through it, and trying to get back to full strength and getting back to where he was pre-ACL, right? He didn’t look like the same player.”

Kiper said in a defensive tackle draft class that isn’t particularly strong, Smith could be a strong option as he continues to get stronger after the ACL tear.

“So when he’s now a couple years removed, coming off that ACL, watch out,” Kiper said. “Defensive tackle position we thought would be really strong this year, that has not materialized. We thought Maason Smith would be one of those guys. I’m ready to move him back up in the top 10 defensive tackles, but I got to look at what he is when he’s healthy and what he was when he was dominant in practice, what he can be. I’m gonna put him in that five or six spot of defensive tackles on my big board.’”

Only time will tell where Smith and other LSU prospects land in April’s draft.

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2024 NFL mock draft roundup: Ravens reload at cornerback and offensive tackle

We’re looking at the 2024 NFL mock draft roundups and the Baltimore Ravens are projected to land a cornerback and offensive tackle

The Baltimore Ravens are 14-4 and one game away from a Super Bowl appearance after a 34-10 win over the Texans in the divisional round.

Even with Lamar Jackson and company roaring through the playoff field, it’s never too early for a look ahead to the 2024 NFL Draft.

Baltimore currently has about $13,658,828 in salary cap space per Over The Cap, and they’re spending about $120+ million plus on the offensive side of the football.

The Ravens also have 30 players scheduled to hit free agency, and some tough decisions will be made regarding who returns to Baltimore.

With the Reese’s Senior Bowl fast approaching and draft coverage set to begin, we’re looking at an updated mock draft roundup for AFC Championship week.

Report: LSU DT Jacobian Guillory did not enter 2024 NFL draft, plans to return to Tigers

LSU has seen some key losses along the defensive line, but it’s set to get a veteran back in 2024.

LSU has suffered some key losses along the defensive line, particularly its interior, this offseason. But the Tigers are reportedly set to get a major piece back at that spot in 2024.

According to On3’s Shea Dixon, Tigers defensive tackle [autotag]Jacobian Guillory[/autotag] did not enter his name into the 2024 NFL draft prior to Monday’s deadline and instead plans to return to LSU for what will be his redshirt senior season.

A former four-star prospect from Alexandria, Louisiana, Guillory has mostly been a rotational player in his four years at LSU. He’s appeared in 39 games but made just three starts, two of which came in 2022 and one of which was this past season.

However, Guillory’s role will likely increase significantly in 2024. The Tigers saw both starting defensive tackles — [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] —declare for the draft. [autotag]Jordan Jefferson[/autotag], a graduate transfer from West Virginia who saw starting action when Wingo got hurt, is out of eligibility.

The defensive line will be a major question next season, but new coach Bo Davis will have a veteran piece to work with in Guillory.

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New DL coach Bo Davis is exactly what LSU’s defense needs

Bo Davis is exactly what LSU needed on the defensive front.

Nearly 20 years after helping [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] win his first national title, [autotag]Bo Davis[/autotag] is returning to LSU.

Fans have hoped for, wished for, and speculated about this for years. Anytime the defensive line coach position opened at LSU, you heard Davis’ name. And for good reason, too; for nearly 20 years, Davis has been one of the best defensive line coaches in the sport.

Davis played at LSU in the early 90’s before spending a few years as a graduate assistant. He was the assistant strength coach under Saban and followed Saban to the Dolphins and later Alabama.

Now, Davis is finally back at LSU. It’s a reunion that felt inevitable, even as the years passed and Davis didn’t return.

It’s rare to see this much made of a position coach hire. Davis isn’t running the program and he won’t be calling plays either. But Davis isn’t just a defensive line coach. He’s a presence and one that LSU needed in a bad way.

Davis spent the last three years at Texas. With Davis on staff, Texas went from a program that lacked physicality to a program that bullied the rest of the Big 12 in the trenches. According to PFF, Texas had the top two graded defensive tackles in the country with T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy II.

Davis inherits an LSU defensive line in need of work. After [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] and M[autotag]ekhi Wingo[/autotag] declared for the draft, LSU is left thin at defensive tackle. Before Davis can even focus on development, he needs to find a way to get talent in the room.

LSU knows that, too. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] knows it. That’s why LSU continued to chase and chase until Davis was finally wooed back to Baton Rouge.

You need an elite defensive line to compete at the top of the SEC. It’s not a matter of if LSU will have that under Davis, it’s a matter of when. Everywhere this guy goes, success follows.

Sometimes building a staff isn’t hard. This is the rare case where you’re average message board poster could have done it.

This doesn’t mean the LSU defense is going to flip a switch and be one of the best in the country next year, but it’s the first step. You’ll notice it when you watch LSU. You’re going to watch a defensive line that just plays differently.

With [autotag]Brad Davis[/autotag] already building one of the best offensive line units in the country on the other side of the ball, few programs are better positioned for success in the trenches than LSU in the coming years.

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Defensive tackle Jalen Lee to return to LSU for final season of eligibility

Jalen Lee appeared in seven games but played just 52 snaps as a transfer from Florida this season.

LSU has seen some heavy losses along the interior of the defensive line so far this offseason, but it got one piece of good news on Wednesday.

Defensive tackle [autotag]Jalen Lee[/autotag] announced that he would be returning to the Tigers for his fifth and final season of eligibility, according to On3’s Shea Dixon.

After [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag] declared for the 2024 NFL draft and three other reserve defensive tackles entered the transfer portal, Lee is one of only two returning scholarship defensive tackles currently on the roster along with [autotag]Jacobian Guillory[/autotag].

A native of Watson, Louisiana, Lee began his career at Florida, where he appeared in 25 games with four starts. He returned to his home state this past offseason, but he saw just 52 snaps in seven games, totaling just two assisted tackles.

LSU has lost a lot on the interior, and that could mean expanded roles for both Lee and Guillory heading into 2024.

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LSU left thin at defensive tackle after Maason Smith declares for draft

LSU is left thin at defensive tackle after Maason Smith declared for the draft.

LSU’s [autotag]Maason Smith[/autotag] declared for the NFL draft on Tuesday evening, joining fellow defensive lineman [autotag]Mekhi Wingo[/autotag].

There was originally some optimism that Smith and Wingo would return, giving LSU a solid foundation to build on up front. Now, new defensive coordinator [autotag]Blake Baker[/autotag] is stuck looking for answers on the interior defensive line.

At the moment, LSU returns [autotag]Jacobian Guillory[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Lee[/autotag]. Guillory played 258 snaps last year, and he’s competent but never occupied a role as a full-time starter. Lee played just 52 snaps after transferring in from Florida.

LSU’s stuck in this position now after failing to sign a single defensive tackle in the 2023 class and coming up empty in the transfer portal thus far.

Last offseason, I wrote about how having two elite players at defensive tackle can change your defense. Just look at what having Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis did for Georgia on its title run. Look at how Texas‘ strength at defensive tackle took that program to the next level in 2023.

The hope was that Smith and Wingo would do that for LSU last year. But that never panned out as Smith took a while to get going after returning and Wingo missed the second half of the season.

This is the SEC, and it’s going to get even tougher with Oklahoma and Texas joining. You can’t be thin up front, especially in the middle of the defensive line.

There doesn’t appear to be an immediate solution. Just two of the top 25 transfer defensive tackles remain uncommitted, according to 247Sports. LSU does have a solid group of interior defensive linemen in its high school class, including headliner [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag], but you can’t count on those guys to be ready right away.

Kelly and whoever takes over the defense have their hands full. There’s usually another wave of transfers following spring practice. LSU will need to hold onto everything it has on the defensive line while hoping a couple of difference-makers hit the portal.

The defense was already going to take a year or two to rebuild with how young the secondary is, but losing Wingo and Smith up front just made the job tougher.

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LSU DL Maason Smith declares for the 2024 NFL Draft

Maason Smith is a strong option in a middle of the road defensive tackle group.

Another talented SEC defensive star is taking his talents to the next level as LSU defensive tackle Maason Smith has announced he is declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft.

A two-year starter contributor with Tigers in 2021 and 2023 Smith has shown lots of promise and flash within the LSU defense. In his two years as a starter, Smith logged 6.5 sacks, 35 quarterback pressures, and 46 tackles. While Smith was not the most productive player on the stat sheet side of things it is clear he is a disruptive force in the middle of the defense.

While Smith missed out on the 2022 season due to an ACL tear it appears as though he was able to bounce back to his spry and athletic self in his latest season. Smith is a productive athlete who has excellent short-area quickness, burst, and enough pass-rushing moves to be a headache to offensive linemen. There will be an inherent risk in taking Smith given his limited playing time, but the physical talent is going to be far too tempting for teams to pass on. Expect Smith to hear his name called sometime on day two of the draft.

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