Late in his rookie campaign, Maason Smith began to show flashes of the player the Jacksonville Jaguars envisioned coming out of the 2024 draft. However, he wasn't able to build off his strong finish and has instead regressed this season.
Early in 2025, Smith appeared to be in a position to be the starter alongside Arik Armstead inside. However, he tumbled down the depth chart as the year passed, and a recent coaching decision is proof of just how drastic his fall from grace has been.
The Jaguars are making Maason Smith a healthy scratch vs. the Broncos
Maason Smith was among the team's inactives for Week 16. This is a tad disappointing but probably not surprising when you take into account that he's had a rotational role this season, and when he's on the field, he's failed to make an impact.
Keep in mind that this is the second time in 2025 that Smith is a healthy scratch. Although he wasn't hurt, he was inactive for the opener against the Carolina Panthers. At the time, head coach Liam Coen cited a lack of practice as a reason. Now, the former LSU Tiger has no excuse.
Smith suffered an undisclosed injury in training camp and missed the preseason. This is why Coen's explanation for the second-year defensive tackle being held out in Week 1 makes sense. However, he's healthy, so the only reasonable explanation is that the coaching staff doesn't think he'll have an impact against the Denver Broncos.
A second-round pick in 2024, Smith was also a healthy scratch at times in his rookie year. However, he flashed in the last seven games, totaling 11 pressures and three sacks. This season, though, he's yet to record a sack and has tallied just 36 percent of the team's snaps on defense.
Maason Smith may have fallen out of the Jaguars' favor
Maason Smith had the talent but fell to Round 2 of the 2024 draft because he dealt with several injuries in college. Still, the Jaguars banked on his potential, and for a brief moment, it looked like he was going to be able to untap it. Now, it's looking like he could be in danger of getting the dreaded bust label.
Think about it, defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile has been able to get the most out of players such as linebacker Devin Lloyd, cornerback Montaric Brown, and safety Antonio Johnson. Heck, even Josh Hines-Allen and Arik Armstead have bounced back after struggling last year. Yet, Smith hasn't been able to put it all together, and that should most definitely be a reason for concern.
Granted, players' readiness coming out of college is always variable, and some players need more time than others to hit their stride. That said, Smith hasn't shown any growth whenever he's gotten chances, and the team's brass hasn't been afraid to cut ties with underachieving players.
Now, Maason Smith could end up turning the corner and becoming the player the Jaguars envisioned. Then again, there's an equal, if not higher chance that they've simply seen enough of him and are ready to move on.