When the Atlanta Falcons decided to trade Ruke Orhororo to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for Maason Smith, most of the fanbase was intially perplexed? The vision of trading a defensive tackle expected to be a key piece of your rotation when you get no draft picks in return and get a much less accomplished player in return straight-up felt off, but it's starting to make a lot more sense.
Maason Smith has since had a really strong summer following the change of scenery to the point that he was labeled a "pleasant surprise" by DL coach Nate Ollie during OTAs. He's also had some good moments during training camp, but his first taste of in-game action as a Falcon was again successful.
In the Falcons' 27-7 loss to the Denver Broncos in their preseason opener, Smith was a bright spot. He showed flashes of the disruption we've been waiting for out of him. Although he didn't record a tackle, his best play of the night came when he quickly burst through two blockers to disrupt a play.
The Maason Smith-Ruke Orhororo swap is aging well for the Atlanta Falcons
With each passing day, the 23-year-old is making the once-polarizing Orhohoro deal look better and better for Atlanta. He was listed as a starter on the team's first unofficial depth chart, and it's become obvious that he's going to play a key role for this DL after two disappointing seasons with the Jags.
Here's the other thing we have to remember here: Ruke Orhorhoro was just as disappointing during his time with the Dirty Birds. He had the second-worst PFF grade and the third-worst run defense grade among all qualified DTs last year, and he never really fit the role the team wanted to use him for. He was a three-tech pass-rusher who was utilized more as a versatile DT and occasional nose tackle.
Meanwhile, Smith is a perfect fit to be Atlanta's new nose tackle. He has the size at 6-foot-5 and 306 pounds, and the athleticism (8.99 RAS) to be a game-wrecker in the middle of the defensive line, so the upside is there for him to be the long-term nose tackle if he keeps up this trajectory.
The 2024 second-round pick was drafted by Jacksonville. just 13 picks after the Falcons drafted Orhorhoro, and the preseason opener showed they fell in love with him. All of the tools are there, but Smith needs the right development to help him tap into that, and Ollie and Jeff Ulbrich will offer that.
The LSU product didn't set the stat sheet on fire, but the flashes of the player he could become were there. He should be a big reason the run defense improves from 2025 to 2026, as he's going to be a handful for offenses to block--especially with Brandon Dorlus and Zach Harrison playing with him.
While not everyone was on board with the Maason Smith for Ruke Orhororo swap at first, the Falcons' preseason opener is starting to validate the risk--and may confirm there is a path to winning this trade.
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