The Jacksonville Jaguars have made a trade with the Falcons ahead of the 2026 NFL draft.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jaguars are trading defensive tackle Maason Smith to Atlanta in exchange for defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro.
Why the Jaguars traded Maason Smith for Ruke Orhorhoro
Smith, a second-round pick by the Jaguars in 2024 under former GM Trent Baalke, fell out of favor in the defensive tackle rotation as the 2025 season progressed.
After seeing fairly regular playing time for much of the season, he was a healthy scratch during the final weeks of the regular season and did not play in Jacksonville’s playoff game against Buffalo.
The emergence of Matt Dickerson, whose role continued to expand, played a factor in that.
Over 191 pass rush snaps in 2025, Smith logged a modest 11 pressures with no sacks. He was primarily on the field during more obvious passing situations.
What can Ruke Orhorhoro bring to the Jaguars’ defense?
Orhorhor was also a second-round pick in the 2024 draft out of Clemson. Last season, he saw regular playing time, carving out a steady role in all 17 games. He is a pass-rush first defensive tackle, totaling 30 pressures and four sacks over 390 pass rush reps.
Out of 121 eligible defensive tackles, Orhorhoro ranked tied for 51st in PFF’s pass rush productivity metric, a formula that combines sacks and pressures relative to a defender’s pass rush opportunities. Smith ranked 97th in this category.
This is one of those trades that provides a change of scenery for two players who were drafted by GMs who are no longer running their now-former teams.
(This article will be updated.)
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Why Jaguars traded Maason Smith for Falcons’ Ruke Orhorhoro
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
