The Jacksonville Jaguars head into the final two weeks of the season still in contention for the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
Following their loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Jaguars currently possess the No. 3 overall selection and, with help, could land themselves a top-of-the-order choice for the third time in five years.
But there are some positives to take away from Jacksonville’s defeat on Sunday. Jaguars Wire takes a deep dive into the All-22 film to look at some of the bright spots from the team’s 12th loss of the season.
Maason Smith flashes brightly as a possible key 2025 piece
The decision to keep Smith sidelined early in the season when the defense began to struggle remains questionable at best. The second-round pick from the LSU Tigers has seen more time on the field with the Jaguars on their way to a potential top-five selection in the NFL Draft.
Smith may not have blown up the box score against the Raiders, but he was disruptive in what was the best game of his young career with a sack and two tackles for loss.
Smith flashed the raw power and functional athleticism that made him a Top 50 selection. He showed a nice bull rush that was effective when he kept his pad level low and maintained adequate leverage at the point of attack.
With his long arms and wingspan, Smith used it to his advantage to push blockers into the backfield and create penetration in the run game. He also did a good job of working laterally at the line of scrimmage and staying disciplined in his respective gap.
Smith must learn to keep his pads low and not expose his chest as often as he did Sunday on top of adding more moves to his pass rush arsenal. However, he has a bright future with the team and with continued development, he could be a key asset for Jacksonville in 2025.
iDL Maason Smith has been seeing more time on the field after spending most of the first half of the year on the benched or inactive. #Jaguars 2nd round pick flashed raw power, incredible functional athleticism, and size to be a stout run defender.
— Jared Feinberg (@jrodnfldraft.bsky.social) December 24, 2024 at 1:46 PM
Montaric Brown offers a serviceable performance in place of Ronald Darby
With Darby having been benched and inactive against Las Vegas, Brown stepped in on the perimeter and performed. There were some questionable moments from the former Arkansas Razorback but there were plenty of positive ones as well.
Brown was often sticky in man coverage reps while displaying sufficient change of direction to stay in phase with his primary receiver. When playing press, he more often played feet-first and allowed himself to stay stride for stride with his man.
Brown’s reps in zone coverage were also impressive. He offered sufficient spacing and spatial awareness to make plays within his vicinity. There were moments when his eyes were caught in the backfield but he would later rebound, showing he can be someone the Jaguars can lean on as a depth piece in the secondary in the future.
Mitch Morse is a key cog in the middle of the Jaguars OL
The Jaguars have gotten exactly what they were hoping for when they signed Morse from the Buffalo Bills this past offseason.
Morse has remained consistent at center throughout the season and is a crucial aspect of why the Jaguars’ interior offensive line has the second-lowest pressure rate in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats.
On Sunday against the Raiders, Morse was sufficient on the field. There were a couple of mishaps, including some early miscommunication along the line and getting beat in the run game on occasion.
Yet, the veteran middleman of Jacksonville’s line was steady enough to keep the interior of his unit as rock solid as it could be. He helped his teammates in their sets and got his eyes around fast when dealing with looping rushers. Morse’s functional movement ability allows him to seamlessly work to the second level in the run game.
Extra Notes
- Brian Thomas Jr. is a complete game-changer and was a big reason why the Jaguars were still in the game late in the fourth quarter. His size, explosiveness, ball skills and run-after-catch ability have made him a fearful playmaker for any defense to play against.
