Maason Smith is joining his teammate in Jacksonville.
LSU’s redshirt sophomore defensive tackle was selected with the No. 48 overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in Friday night’s second round of the NFL Draft in Detroit. Smith was selected the night after his teammate, wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., was taken late in the first round by the Jaguars.
The 6-foot-6, 315-pound showcased his immense pro potential as a freshman for the Tigers in 2021 when he appeared in nine games, recorded 19 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, and four sacks. Smith earned Freshman All-Southeastern Conference honors and Freshman All-American honors from the Football Writers Association of America.
In the 2022 season, he suffered a season-ending knee injury earlier in the season opener against Florida State. Smith returned this past season and started 12 games, with 28 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, and 2.5 sacks.
At Terrebonne High School, Smith was considered the nation’s top defensive line prospect, as he was a five-star prospect by both 247Sports and Rivals. In his prep career, Smith recorded more than 200 tackles, 60 tackles for loss and 26 sacks.