The Atlanta Falcons just stunned the NFL world by trading Ruke Orhorhoro to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for Maason Smith. Less than two years after the Falcons traded up in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft for Orhorhoro, the new regime already pulled the plug on him.
It goes to show you that Kevin Stefanski and Ian Cunningham are taking no prisoner, and that nobody's roster spot is safe, especially with the 2026 NFL Draft less than a week away. So if you thought interior DL was a need before, they're in a very similar position after dealing the 24-year-old.
Just likr Orhorhoro, Smith was drafted in the second round in 2024 and has untapped potential. While he didn't test as well as Ruke did, Smith is younger, he's bigger, and given Jeff Ulbrich's affinity for reclamation projects, he has a second lease on life-- but DT is still one of the Falcons' biggest needs.
The Ruke Orhorhoro-Maason Smith swap will not deter the Falcons from drafting a defensive tackle early on in the 2026 Draft
Just like the man he's replacing, Smith is a versatile interior defensive lineman rather than a full-fledged nose tackle--even though he's a massive human. This means that drafting a nose tackle with one of their picks is more than just in the realm of possibility for the Dirty Birds, it's basically certain.
The Falcons' run defense suffered in 2025, as they finished in the bottom 10 in rushing yards allowed per game despite being an elite pass-rushing team. And since they lost David Onyemata in free agency, they need to find his successor while Smith competes with LaCale London for snaps at DT.
Throughout the pre-draft process, Atlanta has been linked to three different nose tackles with the 48th pick: Georgia's Christen Miller, Florida's Caleb Banks, and Texas Tech's Lee Hunter. It's all a matter of who of them falls, as if any of them are available, Cunningham won't overthink this pick.
Coincidentally, Smith was drafted with the 48th pick back in 2024, and they wouldn't have traded Orhorhoro for him if they didn't believe in his potential. And he's also a better fit for what they're planning defensively, but the defensive vision obviously accounts for the addition of another IDL.
Banks is the high-upside physical freak who is only being floated as a second-round guy due to injury, Hunter is the complete (and pro ready) nose tackle, while Miller boasts the highest upside. But if none of them are there, players like Domonique Orange or Dontay Corleone could be DT options later on.
Stefanski and Cunningham's MO this offseason has been to raise the floor of this roster and add depth at the positions in need of it, so none of the low-stakes FA signings or trades they've made will impact their draft plans all that much, especially since nose tackle is still a need after the Smith trade.
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