The Jacksonville Jaguars were expected to address the interior defensive line early in the 2026 NFL Draft, but that changed when they sent defensive tackle Maason Smith to the Atlanta Falcons in return for Ruke Orhorhoro.
With Orhorhoro in the mix, defensive tackle is no longer a pressing need, so the Jags can afford to address other positions (although they could always double-dip). On the other hand, it was a bit surprising to see Jacksonville move on from Smith just two years after drafting him 42nd overall.
Just a few days after the trade, Liam Coen shed light on the decision.
The Jaguars couldn't pass up the chance to acquire an ascending player in Ruke Orhorhoro
Liam Coen met with the local media on the first day of the offseason program. He stated that he has lots of respect for Maason Smith but couldn't pass up the opportunity to get an ascending player in Ruke Orhororo.
"It wasn't necessarily anything... I have a lot of respect for Mason Smith. I hope he has a heck of a career," Coen said when asked about sending Smith to the Falcons (5:34 mark). "He did nothing but what we asked him to do, from a work ethic standpoint, from doing the right things and what we asked of him, and we felt like we had an opportunity to potentially get an ascending player that can provide a little bit in the rush. It's hard to find big men that can move like that on the interior part of your defense without giving up in the run game."
Coen continued, "It's something we want to continue to be top-notch at, which we were in the NFL this past season, but something we want to look at, that Ruke gives us an opportunity to big man that can move, that can get in the rush plan as well, and showed the ability to get to the quarterback a little bit. So that's that was something that we felt like was going to fit for us."
Based on Coen's wording, the trade had to do less with Smith underperforming and more with Jacksonville acquiring a player with massive upside.
For context, Smith got off to a slow start to his rookie season but finished strong. He was expected to make strides in 2025 but instead regressed. By the end of the year, he was an afterthought in the defensive line rotation.
On the other hand, Orhorhoro flashed pass-rush potential despite the fact that he was playing out of position last year. Now in Duval, defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile will be tasked with getting the most out of him.
The upside of trading for Ruke Orhorhoro is huge
Liam Coen wasn't going to outright say that Maason Smith left much to be desired, but if he had been part of the team's plans, the Jaguars wouldn't have traded him. The good news is that he'll now get a change of scenery with the Dirty Birds. And that's the thing, he's got plenty of talent, but wasn't able to put it all together in Jacksonville. Maybe he can do it in A-Town, with the benefit of a fresh start.
Orhoroho, for his part, will be tasked with fixing what was one of the Jags' weaknesses in 2025. Their dearth of pass rush on the interior line played a role in the playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. If the Jaguars want to get over the bump, they'll need to address that.
The Jaguars were ultimately able to flip a player who wasn't part of their future for another one that could help them plug a roster hole. That's a pretty good trade.
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