Less than a week before the 2026 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars traded Maason Smith to the Atlanta Falcons in return for Ruke Orhorhoro. This isn't the kind of deal that is going to send shockwaves across the league, but it certainly helped the Jags fix a huge roster void.
The writing had been on the wall for Smith for a while. He finished the 2024 season strong but wasn't able to build off of it last year. Heck, he regressed and became an afterthought in what was otherwise a stout defense. While the former LSU Tiger is loaded with talent, the Jags might've seen enough to think that he wasn't going to put it all together, so they chose to just pull the plug on him.
Now, Smith gets a fresh start in A-Town, while the Jacksonville defensive front gets a new piece in Orhorhoro, who showed serious pass-rush capability with the Falcons last year. This begs the question: Who are the biggest winners of the trade? Here's a look at four, along with one loser.
Jaguars winnenrs: Pass rushers Travon Walker & Josh Hines-Allen
The Jaguars struggled to pressure Josh Allen in the playoffs because they couldn't bring the heat from the interior. This is why defensive tackle was dubbed the team's biggest need ahead of the draft. Ruke Orhorhoro helps Jacksonville check off that box.
With him playing alongside Arik Armstead and DaVon Hamilton, the Jags should have a better interior pass rush. This will help Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen see fewer double teams, which will, in turn, allow them to be more effective.
Already, Walker and Hines-Allen wreaked havoc at the line of scrimmage. With Orhorhoro in the mix, they should present even more trouble to opposing defensive lines.
Matt Edwards, Jaguars defensive line coach
When Matt Edwards took over as the defensive line coach in 2025, he helped undrafted rookies Danny Striggow and B.J. Green II make the leap to the NFL. Both of them ended up making the 53-man roster. He'll now get to untap Ruke Orhorhoro's potential.
With the Falcons, Orhorhoro played out of position at nose tackle. It will be up to Edwards to get the most out of his skill set.
Jaguars winner: general manager manager James Gladstone
You could accuse James Gladstone of many things, but being passive isn't one of them. He won't hesitate to make a trade if he thinks it will address the larger scale roster. By acquiring Ruker Orhorhoro, the Jags executive gave himself plenty of flexibility in the NFL Draft.
As noted before, defensive tackle was the Jags' biggest need ahead of the draft, and Gladstone lacks a first-round selection in 2026 after including it in the package to move up for Travis Hunter last year. Jacksonville's first pick will come at No. 56, but Gladstone no longer has to bolster the interior defensive line after acquiring Orhorhoro.
While the Jaguars could still double-dip at defensive tackle, they can now fortify the linebacker corps, the secondary, or even the offensive line. The possibilities are endless with Orhorhoro in the mix.
Jaguars loser: former general manager Trent Baalke
There's a reason general manager Trent Baalke no longer has a job in the NFL, aside from his conflictual personality. He simply wasn't very good. While he acquired players like right tackle Anton Harrison, wide receiver Parker Washington, and linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, he also made lots of blunders during his stint in Duval. Maason Smith was definitely one of his misses.
Smith entered the NFL with injury flags, but the expectation was that he was going to be able to reach his potential with the Jags. He never did. The fact that the Honou, Lousina native struggled under two different regimes just goes on to show that he had a long way to go.
The good news for Smith is that he'll get another chance, this time with the Falcons, to turn things around. Maybe he will, probably won't, but he'll get an opportunity nonetheless. The same can't be said about Baalke, who may not be a general manager in the NFL ever again.
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