If you haven't heard, the Jacksonville Jaguars are over the salary cap and need to make some moves to get compliant. However, the front office can't focus solely on who to get rid of. The team's disappointing finish in the postseason showed that there are some weaknesses that must be addressed if the franchise hopes to repeat as AFC South Champions and make a deeper run in 2026.
One of these changes must be made along the Jaguars' defensive line, as Arik Armstead's 5.5 sacks were the second-most on the team. Jacksonville's lack of interior disruption prevented them from stopping the Buffalo Bills' QB sneaks and helping Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker tackle passers before getting the ball out.
As I mentioned, there is only so much cap room left to improve the defense's pass rush while addressing other needs. This means an underwhelming performer needs to be replaced by someone who can deliver more production at around the same price. Unfortunately, James Gladstone has at least one target who should be fairly clear.
Maason Smith's tenure with the Jacksonville Jaguars could be in jeopardy
When Trent Baalke drafted Maason Smith, he grabbed a big, long, and powerful prospect who was supposed to grow into his role as the Jaguars' IDL of the future. The Louisiana native started the 2025 season alongside Arik Armstead as the defense's new pairing of athletic big men. Unfortunately, Smith's place on the depth chart fell so much that he was a healthy scratch before one of the biggest games of the season.
The 23-year-old played in 13 games and didn't register a single sack. This was a significant regression from the 3.0 sacks he tallied while playing appearing in 11 contests as a rookie.
Smith's 2026 cap hit will only be $2.18 million, so getting rid of him won't make a significant financial difference. However, the Jaguars' front office would have to suffer some terrible luck to get less production out of a veteran on the open market. After all, Dennis Gardeck racked up 2.5 sacks after signing a one-year, $2 million deal himself.
Who could the Jaguars get?
According to John Breech of CBS Sports, there are four big-name defensive linemen the Jaguars could pursue instead of holding onto Smith and the possibility that he'll improve. These players are: Cincinnati Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson, Philadelphia Eagles EDGE Jaelan Phillips, Los Angeles Chargers EDGE Odafe Oweh, and the Denver Broncos' John Franklin-Myers.
Now, it's fair to mention that none of these men are defensive tackles. However, there are some notable veterans in this position group as well. Pete Prisco, a crowd favorite in the Jacksonville market, claims that David Onyemata could be an affordable signing for whoever courts him. The 33-year-old's age could bring down his price, which is a benefit the Jags should definitely consider.
Prisco also cites Sheldon Rankins as an older option who could contribute good snaps to a defense that is already put together. The Jags will need to figure out what to do about Devin Lloyd and their defensive backs, but Rankins could be a gap-filling signing that gives the team's front office more flexibility before heading into the draft.
So, there are multiple defensive linemen for the front office to choose from this spring. Some options will be pricey (Hendrickson and Phillips) while others could be quite affordable (Onyemata and Rankins).
As a former second-round pick, there's a chance that another team will want to trade for Smith if the Jaguars make him available. Getting a late-round pick for the Louisiana State standout would give Jax another chance to find a backup DT to utilize within their rotation.
In the end, Smith won't be the first or last draft pick that fails to catch on in Jacksonville. K'Lavon Chaisson showed everyone that a change of scenery is the best thing a struggling player can get whenever they're in a rut. Smith could become a dominant run stuffer in a scheme that doesn't ask its tackles to take over games single-handedly. I hope he gets that chance before it's all said and done.