Jaguars provide puzzling explanation for early 2024 draft pick's lack of impact

Ideally, you want early first and second-round picks to contribute. That's why you selected them early, right? In that regard, the Jacksonville Jaguars have gotten great production from first-year wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. On the other hand, fellow rookie Maason Smith hasn't left a bit to be desired, and the Jags' explanation for his lack of impact is puzzling.

Smith was a healthy scratch for the Week 2 loss against the Cleveland Browns. This is odd because the former LSU Tiger had a strong offseason. Yet, the coaching staff couldn't get him a spot in the defensive line rotation.

One day after the game, head coach Doug Pederson said that Smith didn't do anything particularly wrong to be inactive. Instead, fellow defensive tackles Jeremiah Ledbetter and Esezi Otomewo practice well enough to get the nod over the rookie.

"You got 53 players each week, and I get the chance to select the 48. I visit with the defensive staff and it goes too off the prior week. It's not necessarily what Maason did," Pederson said. "Guys like Big O, and Jeremiah also had good weeks of preparation and practice. It's just an opportunity for Maason to learn and put himself in a position this week to try to be elevated. So it was nothing that he didn't do. It was the fact that Jeremiah and Big O had opportunities to be up this week."

This is a long-winded way to say that Ledbetter and Otomewo were better than Smith, at least during the week ahead of the Week 2 matchup. Of course, Pederson wasn't going to throw the first-year defensive lineman under the bus. Still, the decision to keep him on the sidelines shows the team's brass didn't think he could make an impact.

It's worth noting that Otomewo and Ledbetter combined for five total tackles and 61 defensive snaps in Week 2. Neither one was impressive, which makes you wonder just how much better (or worse) Smith would've been if he had suited up.

Back in Week 1, Smith logged 29 defensive snaps. Yet, he failed to register a single stat. While players' readiness is variable coming out of college, you would expect the 42nd overall pick in this year's draft to have a bigger impact. The fact that he was inactive in Week 2 makes his selection look odd. Here's Pederson explaining the decision to make the Louisiana native inactive.

The Jaguars are waiting for Maason Smith to make an impact

At the time of the draft, the decision to choose Maason Smith raised eyebrows. After all, the Jaguars had already beefed up their interior defensive line in the offseason when they signed Arik Armstead in the offseason. Add the presence of Roy Robertson-Harris, DaVon Hamilton, and Jeremiah Ledbetter, and the selection felt unnecessary.

To make matters worse, not only did the Jags take Smith but doubled down on the defensive line when they selected Jordan Jefferson in the fourth round. Like his former LSU Tiger teammate, Jefferson was a healthy scratch in Week 2.

Smith could eventually turn the corner. Heck, he even earned a comparison to Jaguars great Calais Campbell ahead of the draft. However, the optics surrounding his selection don't currently look great when you take into account his lack of impact, along with the fact that the Jaguars could've gone in several different directions in the second round.

Right now, the offensive line is struggling. Hindsight is 20/20 but the Jaguars' brass could've taken someone like Zach Frazier or Blake Fisher instead of Smith to fortify it. Another possibility would've been to select a cornerback.

When the Jags were on the clock at No. 42, Ennis Rakestraw and Renardo Green were still on the board. Why not bolster the pass rush behind Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen with someone like Chris Braswell?

The point is that the Jaguars aren't currently getting great play from Maason Smith. Until that changes, the decision to draft him will continue to come into question.

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