The Jacksonville Jaguars are 3-1 and trending in the right direction four weeks into the regular season. Head coach Liam Coen has been a huge reason why, but it's also helped that several players have stepped up.
On the other hand, a handful of players who were expected to have a big impact have underachieved. Brian Thomas Jr. is one of them, as he hasn't been able to recreate the success he had as a rookie last year. That said, there's another member of the Jags' 2024 draft class who's also left much to be desired.
Maason Smith hasn't been able to build off his strong finish to 2024
During the draft process, Maason Smith earned comparisons to former All-Pro defensive lineman Calais Campbell. Nevertheless, the Jaguars raised eyebrows when they selected him 42nd overall in 2024 because he missed significant time at LSU with injuries.
The fact that Smith was a healthy scratch several times throughout his rookie season did nothing to alleviate concerns. But then, something clicked, and the Houma, Louisiana native finished the year strong, logging two sacks and nine pressures the last six games. Rightly, he was expected to make a leap in Year 2, but things haven't gone the way the team expected.
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Maason Smith has been an early disappointment for the Jaguars this season
Maason Smith suffered an undisclosed injury early in training camp and was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list. He was eventually activated, but by then, the sophomore defensive lineman was behind, which is why he was inactive for the season opener. Although he hasn't been a healthy scratch for other games, he's been a non-factor, registering three tackles and two total pressures.
That's certainly not the kind of production Jacksonville expected from Smith, and it's fair to wonder if he'll turn the corner at some point in the season. If he doesn't, nobody will bat an eye if the team's brass moves on from him.
After all, the new regime inherited Smith, and general manager James Gladstone has shown that he isn't afraid to cut ties with players who don't fit the team's intangibly rich mantra. Already this year, the Jags have released tight end Evan Engram, wide receiver Gabe Davis, and traded wide receiver Christian Kirk, center Luke Fortner, and running back Tank Bigsby. All were players that Gladstone's predecessor, Trent Baalke, brougth in.
Already, the Jaguars traded for Khalen Saunders in the preseason, and he could be a legitimate replacement for Smith if he doesn't put it all together.
The good news is that it's early in the season, so Maason Smith has time to get his act together. If he doesn't, though, don't be surprised if he doesn't finish the year in Jacksonville.