When it was first announced that the Atlanta Falcons were trading Ruke Orhorhoro to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Falcons fans were just livid. Orhorhoro was finally showing some promise, and this new regime shipped him off for a guy who most fans said "Who?" when they learned his name.
On the surface, the Jaguars got the better player, as Smith looks like a downgrade. But he is a year younger and a bigger body for Atlanta on the defensive line. But beyond that, we don't really know a ton about the 23-year-old given his inconsistent usage across the first two years of his career.
I was able to consult a Jaguars' expert on Smith and he shed some light on what to expect from him with the Falcons. Here's what Black and Teal site expert Carlos Sanchez had to say on the trade, revealing what fans should know about the newest member of the Dirty Birds.
Maason Smith gives the Falcons upside, but not as much as Ruke Orhorhoro
"When the Jaguars drafted Maason Smith 42nd overall in 2024, they raised eyebrows," Sanchez wrote. It wasn't that Honou, Louisiana native wasn't talented, but rather that he dealt with injury red flags coming out of LSU. On the other hand, it's easy to see why Jacksonville invested a second-round pick on him."
"During the draft process, Smith earned comparisons to Calais Campbell because of his massive upside. Of course, that doesn't mean that he was a player in the same caliber as The Mayor, but at least it showed that the pick wasn't necessarily a reach."
Sanchez continued, "But despite his potential, Smith got off to a slow start to his rookie campaign. The good news is that he finished the season strong, racking up 11 total pressures and two sacks in the last seven games. Expected to build off his encouraging finish to 2024, dealt with injuries during training camp that hindered his development." "But even when the former Tiger got healthy, he was a non-factor in the regular season. By the end of the year, he had tumbled down the depth chart and become an afterthought in the Jacksonville defense."
"The Jaguars might've seen enough from Smith to make them think that he wasn't going to turn the corner, so they cut their losses and moved on from him. That they managed to find his potential replacement in Ruke Orhorhoro was definitely welcome news."
Of course, Smith is still talented, so maybe he can make the most out of his fresh start in A-Town and at last put it all together. It's also worth noting that a new regime took over the Jags in 2025, so he may not have been a fit. He'll get a chance to prove that was the case."
Based on Sanchez' assessment, there's untapped potential, but plenty of reason to be concerned. The LSU product was healthy scratched by two different Jaguars' coaching staffs, has made just seven career starts, and hardly played in 2025 despite being a key piece of their 2024 draft class.
The other thing he noted is that while he did draw comparisons to another ex-Falcon in Calais Campbell coming out of college, his injury red flags made his selection a head-scratcher. And he dealt with injuries in both of his two seasons, including the training camp injury that Sanchez mentioned. But Smith also has yet to play a complete 17-game season, which is not ideal.
What should Falcons fans expect from Maason Smith?
Smith is more of a true nose tackle compared to Orhorhoro, so even though the latter has accomplished more throughout his NFL career, he is a better fit for what the Falcons need. They need big bodies to plug the middle in run defense, as that was a major sore spot for Atlanta in 2025.
Smith is more of a depth addition, as his acquisition won't deter the Falcons from drafting a Christen Miller or a Lee Hunter with the 48th overall pick. With David Onyemata gone, the interior of the DL is a work in progress, so the worst case scenario is he's a rotational IDL who helps against the run. But given how awful Ruke was as a run defender, he'd be an upgrade if he was just serviceable there.
The fact of the matter is that while the Falcons probably downgraded going from Ruke Orhorhoro to Maason Smith, perhaps Nate Ollie and Jeff Ulbrich can work their magic with Smith and tap into the potential we all know is there.
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