5 Jacksonville Jaguars who won’t be around after the 2022 season

No. 3 Jaguars player who won’t be around in 2023: Dawuane Smoot, OLB

The spotlight has been on Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars’ offense this offseason but the team’s brass didn’t neglect the defense. In fact, they made several upgrades to most position groups on that side of the ball. In particular, the Jags revamped their front seven, and one of the most important moves they made was drafting defensive lineman Travon Walker with the first overall selection in this year’s draft.

Furthermore, Jacksonville signed Arden Key in free agency. Both Walker and Key will get significant playing time, with the latter probably starting opposite outside linebacker Josh Allen. This will benefit greatly a defense that wasn’t able to consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks in 2021. On the other hand, veteran Dawuane Smoot will probably see a decrease in playing time.

Smoot has been a mainstay of the Jags’ defense over the last two seasons. He’s seen his playing time progressively increase since being drafted in 2017 and has logged 17.5 sacks over the last two seasons. But now that Jacksonville has added Walker and Key, he will take on a complementary role and not a featured one.

Make no mistake, Smoot will still get plenty of snaps in order to keep his teammates safe and he will even start a few games in 2023. However, the front office has spent a lot of money on the defensive front these past two years and he won’t likely fit their budget unless he takes a pay cut. Given his production, the veteran edge rusher might not be short of suitors if he becomes a free agent.