A former five-star LSU prospect whose college career was derailed by a torn ACL, Maason Smith is looking to fulfill his draft-day promise after a trade brought him to Atlanta.
Smith entered LSU as one of the most hyped defensive line recruits in the country and flashed that talent as a true freshman before a gruesome knee injury slowed his rise. Jacksonville drafted him in the second round in 2024, and after two seasons with the Jaguars, a trade sent him to the Falcons in 2026.
Path to the league
Smith arrived at LSU as a five-star recruit and immediately made an impact as a true freshman in 2021, recording 19 tackles, four sacks and five tackles for loss to earn All-SEC Freshman honors. The Jacksonville Jaguars selected him in the second round, 48th overall, in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Smith's sophomore season at LSU was cut short almost immediately when he tore his ACL celebrating during the 2022 season opener against Florida State. He returned for a full junior campaign in 2023, posting 27 tackles and 4.5 sacks before declaring for the draft.
2025 season recap
Smith split his first two NFL seasons in Jacksonville, totaling 32 tackles, three sacks and four pass deflections through 2025 while working primarily as a nose tackle. The Jaguars traded him to Atlanta in April 2026 in a deal that sent defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro to Jacksonville.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Maason Smith
- Pro Football Reference: Maason Smith
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
13 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | jaguars | 13 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2024 | jaguars | 11 | 17 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive Tackle
- Group
- defense
- College
- LSU
- Hometown
- Houma, LA, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
