![Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen shrugs his shoulders while answering questions during a press conference after the seventh organized team activity at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Monday, June 2, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_491,w_3509,h_1973/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/55/01jxg216xd6xhnqj35vp.jpg "Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen shrugs his shoulders while answering questions during a press conference after the seventh organized team activity at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla. Monday, June 2, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]")
Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. was, without a doubt the best draft pick the Jacksonville Jaguars made in 2024. Heck, you could even make the case he's the best one they've had in recent years. But as important as the former LSU Tiger will be to the team's success next season, he isn't the only sophomore the Jags expect to make a leap.
Head coach Liam Coen met with the local media after Day 2 of mandatory minicamp and said that Jacksonville needs second-year defensive tackle Maason Smith to hit his stride.
"He's a big one for us, you know, we need him to take a huge step this year," Coen responded when asked about how Smith is coming along. "I think he's done a great job when you talk about the offseason program in the weight room, in the conditioning, his mentality, with the work ethic, and then coming out here, making it hard, right?"
Coen continued, "You ultimately, when you're 325 pounds, and you can move, and you've got long arms, man, and he's got the want to, I've seen that so far, ultimately, it's got to continue to translate. And I think he will. I think the coaches have done a great job getting them going, and, you know, he's dedicated himself to it so far."
A second-round pick in last year's draft, Smith was so underwhelming early in his rookie campaign that he was a healthy scratch six different times. However, he eventually turned things around and went on to finish strong, registering 11 total pressures and two sacks in the last six contests.
The Jaguars need Maason Smith to make a leap in Year 2
The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't make many meaningful additions at defensive tackle in the offseason because Arik Armstead will be once again playing inside after mostly lining up on the edge last year. Similarly, DaVon Hamilton should be more than one year removed from a non-football injury that hampered his 2023 season. Having said that, the team's success in the interior trenches will depend on Maason Smith making a leap.
Hamilton is a fine starter, and Amstead should be more productive at defensive tackle. However, Smith has the most upside of the three. In fact, Pete Prisco of CBS Sports just called him their X-Factor in the trenches.
The bottom line is that Maason Smith flashed as a rookie, but that won't cut it in 2025. If the Jaguars want their defense to show notable improvement, they'll need him to set the tone and wreak havoc at the line of scrimmage.