Jacksonville Jaguars find Evan Engram’s replacement in this 3-round 2023 NFL Mock Draft

Jacksonville Jaguars Mock Draft Round 3, 88th overall: Mazi Smith

The Jaguars can’t afford to overlook their defensive front, especially when you take into account that defensive linemen Adam Gotsis and Arden Key are scheduled to be free agents and defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris could be released to free up a bit of cap space. Moreover, DaVon Hamilton is entering a contract year and it would be a good idea to look for a potential replacement at nose tackle.

There will be plenty of talented defensive linemen in the open market such as Javon Hargrave, Maurice Hurst, and Khalen Saunders. However, they might need to turn to the draft to bolster their front seven given their lack of cap space. One prospect that could be available in the third round is Michigan’s, Mazi Smith.

At 6’3″ and 337 pounds, Smith has the size to be a nose tackle in the NFL. He’s good at taking on double teams and has developed some to get after the quarterback besides the bull rush. On the other hand, he lacks quickness and isn’t great at creating pressure in spite of his athleticism.

Matt Holder of the B/R Scouting Department suggests Smith’s conditioning or lack thereof might be a reason for his subpar pash-rush motor. Holder adds that the defensive tackle might be a work in progress and but his potential will make him an enticing project.

The upside of taking Smith with the 88th overall pick is that he might not need to be a Day 1 starter and could sit while the coaching staff helps him untap his potential.