Jaguars' Former Second-Round Draft Pick Primed For Breakout Season in 2025

The upcoming NFL season could be a massive one for a defensive tackle entering his second season with Jacksonville Jaguars.

Maason Smith, who the Jaguars snagged with the 48th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, began to make waves for his team late during his rookie season. He’ll look to keep that momentum going strong into the Jaguars’ 2025 campaign, and expectations are high for the former LSU standout. Recently, Fox Sports named their “breakout candidates” for each AFC team, and Smith found himself representing Jacksonville.

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Maason Smith (94) wraps up a tackling dummy during drills during at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla.

Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union

“It wasn’t always a smooth ride, as the 2024 second-round pick was a healthy scratch six times last year. But once he got back into the lineup in Week 13, it seemed to click,” wrote NFL reporter David Helman.

“Of Smith’s 17 tackles as a rookie, 12 came in the last six weeks of the season. The same can be said for his pass rush stats — 11 of his 14 pressures and two of his three sacks happened in December and January. If he can carry that progress over into Year 2, it’d be huge for a defensive front that already employs several quality pass-rushers.”

Smith started the final five games of the 2024 season for the Jaguars, and he has already made a positive impression upon the incoming coaching staff in Jacksonville as he looks to shore up his role entering the fall. The Jaguars’ first-year defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile walked away from offseason workouts very satisfied with Smith’s approach.

"He's a guy who wants to be a really good player, which is awesome. You want people like that," Campanile said. "We're blessed with that, in my opinion, being here in the short time I've been here.