Jacksonville Jaguars: 30 greatest players in franchise history

• Led team in tackling four times (2006, 2009-11)
• Led team in assists three times (2006-07, 2009)
• 537 tackles, 141 assists, 21.5 quarterback sacks in Jaguars uniform

With a defensive-minded head coach in place in Jack Del Rio, it was important for the Jaguars to get more competitive in the middle of their defense. Frankly, the offensive-minded Jaguars under the previous head coach Tom Coughlin had lost a bit of their bite on that side of the ball.

One player that stood out among the rest in the 2000s on defense for Jacksonville was linebacker Daryl Smith. He came to Duval County as a high second-round pick out of Georgia Tech in the 2004 NFL Draft. Then Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Smith put him to good use right from the jump.

Smith would have his breakout season with the Jaguars in 2006, when he led the team in both tackling and in assists. He would go on to lead the club in tackles for times and assists on three separate occasions. Smith seemed to have a nose for getting to the ball carried during his nine years with the Jaguars.

Besides wrapping up ball carriers and receivers, Smith did show a knack for getting after the quarterback as well. He accumulated 21.5 quarterback sacks in his nine-year Jaguars career to go along with his 537 tackles and 141 assists.

2012 would prove to be his last season in Jaguars uniform. Smith ended up missing the bulk of the season with an injury. With the change of guard in both the front office and on the coaching staff, Smith signed up to play for the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens in 2013.

He would play three seasons with the Ravens and then one final season with the 2016 Tampa Bay Buccaneers before ultimately calling it a career. Smith may have never reached the Pro Bowl, or garnered any significant individual accolades. However, his consistency of routinely having 100 combined tackles in a season has Smith knocking on the door of the top-20 in Jaguars lore.