Latest Maason Smith development probably makes Jaguars feel weekly regret

When the Jacksonville Jaguars traded defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris, it seemed like they were paving the way for rookie Maason Smith to get more playing time. However, that hasn't been the case, at least not in Week 7.

Smith was a healthy scratch against the New England Patriots in Week 7. This is the second time this season he's inactive for a game. What makes this a reason for concern is that the former LSU Tiger was the 42nd overall pick in this year's draft.

Early-round picks are expected to see the field often, but Smith has been a non-factor throughout most of his rookie campaign. In five games this season, the Louisiana native has logged 39 percent of the team's defensive snaps, logging five tackles and one sack.

That's certainly not the kind of production you expect from a second-round selection, not one that earned comparisons to All-Pro defensive lineman Calais Campbell during the draft process.

As noted before, this is the second time Smith has been inactive for a game in 2024. The first time, back in Week 2, head coach Doug Pederson tried to spin the decision by saying that Esezi Otomewo and Jeremiah Ledbetter had a better week of practice.

This was a roundabout way to say that a couple of journeyman players out-practiced Smith. However you look at it, that doesn't reflect well on the rookie or the front office.

Trent Baalke and the Jaguars' front office deserve blame for the Maason Smith pick

Players' availability is always variable coming out of the draft, so there's a chance Maason Smith will eventually put it all together. Heck, sophomore sensation Tank Bigsby was a disappointment last year but has managed to hit his stride in 2024.

Something similar could happen with Smith. Having said that, he's left much to be desired early on. But as unremarkable as he's been, general manager Trent Baalke also deserves criticism for his lack of impact.

Baalke could've addressed other more pressing needs in the draft but went with Smith in the second round. In theory, the pick made sense. The Jaguars didn't need depth on the interior defensive line after signing Arik Armstead in free agency but his upside was too good to pass up. On the other hand, cornerback was a bigger weakness, and the team's brass addressed it until the third round.

Hindsight is 20/20 but Jacksonville could've traded up in the second round to select Cooper DeJean or Kool-Aid McKinstry if they wanted to go after a cornerback. Both picks would've probably been better than Smith.

The bottom line is that the Maason Smith pick doesn't currently look great. And while there are other bigger reasons the Jacksonville Jaguars are 1-5, drafting him hasn't help either.

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