In a bit of shocking news, Adam Schefter has reported that Falcons 2024 second-round pick Ruke Orhorhoro has been traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars for Maason Smith.
Ruke Orhorhoro played sparingly for the Falcons in his rookie season, appearing in just eight games and totaling 11 tackles. However, he was much more productive under Jeff Ulbrich, recording 25 tackles, four for loss, and 3.5 sacks.
With David Onyemata signing with the New York Jets in free agency, Orhorhoro looked poised to take on a much larger role in Atlanta’s defense. But those snaps could now be heading to Maason Smith, a 6-foot-5, 310-pound interior presence who was selected just 13 picks after Orhorhoro.
In 24 games over the last two seasons, Smith has recorded 35 total tackles, five for loss, and three sacks — similar production on paper, though most of it came during his rookie year.
It’s a bit of a head-scratcher on the surface, but this new front office had nothing to do with the previous regime’s draft picks, and they’ve made it pretty clear they weren’t overly impressed with how the roster was constructed under former GM Terry Fontenot.
We’ll see how it plays out, but what I can tell you about Smith — as someone who attended LSU and watched every snap of his college career — is that he has all the physical tools to be a disruptive force on the interior. If not for the injuries he suffered in college, he likely would’ve been a top-half-of-the-first-round pick. Clearly, the Falcons see that upside in the 23-year-old.
—
(Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire)
