Jaguars DL Maason Smith finding NFL footing with consistent coaching, mentorship

Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.

That could be the story of Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Maason Smith, the team's second-round pick this year. At 6-foot-5, 306 pounds, Smith has the size measurables to play in the NFL. His athletic measurables are even better with a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 8.99.

But, Smith's production in three years at LSU left much to be desired. In three seasons, Smith accounted for 6.5 sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss and 47 total tackles in 22 games. But in the first quarter of the team's opener against Florida State, Smith suffered a torn ACL, missing the entire year.

That setback created a chasm in Smith's overall profile. He entered college in 2021 as the No. 1 player in Louisiana, No. 5 overall defensive lineman and the 20th-ranked player overall nationally, according to 247Sports Composite rankings. Following his freshman season, Smith was named to the Freshman All-American team by the FWAA.

He was the only Tiger to make the list that year in a class that included Brian Thomas Jr. and Malik Nabers, among others. During his junior season, Smith continued to work back from injury, finally feeling a bit like himself near the end of the season.

So, was it just the knee injury that forced a predictable slide after a so-so junior season in the draft for Smith, one of the most ready-made defensive linemen in the class? Not quite.

"Many people don't remember, he was the No. 1 player I believe coming out of high school. So that's just the size, length, the athletic ability. He had a few injuries in college that I think slowed his growth down, but I truly believe his best ball is ahead of him," Jaguars defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett said earlier this month when asked about Smith.

"You just see the athleticism, you see his ability to run, you see the power that's there and it's just him constantly changing his body, getting used to the speed of the game in the NFL. I think [Smith has] a very bright future, [he's] very talented."

Since 2021, Smith has had four different defensive line coaches, including Andre Carter (2021-22), Jamar Cain (2022-23), Jimmy Lindsey (2023) and Pete Jenkins (2023). Following a defensive overhaul after the 2023 season, LSU hired Bo Davis as the new defensive line coach.

Carter was not retained after Smith's freshman season under head coach Ed Orgeron. Cain left after 2022 to join the Denver Broncos. Lindsey stepped down early in 2023 due to health concerns, and Jenkins was brought out of retirement to pick up the slack.

Now with defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, who was mentored by Jenkins, Smith feels he'll have more consistent coaching.

"I've always been a firm believer in understanding the game. That's never really been a problem for me. It was just always having to switch up how we're doing something [as a defensive line] and the way I was doing it," Smith told the Times-Union during mandatory minicamp this month.

"Getting the same style of coaching ... just continuing to grow into that, man it's been a whirlwind, it's been great just being able to get the good, technical work that I've been needing."

In Garrett, Smith will get a defensive line coach who has played for Nielsen and Nielsen himself has plenty of knowledge of what it means to be a productive defensive lineman, having coached the position for many years in the past.

"He's a defensive line coach at heart. He expects us to be, if not the best, one of the best units on the team, on the field. We do a lot of things on defense that allows the defensive line to make a lot of big plays, [and] he puts us in the right position," Smith said.

"He's detailed, but he wants it done right. Holding your players and holding your defensive line and everybody like that to the highest standard, it can do nothing but make us great."

Maason Smith ready to learn from, with Arik Armstead and Josh Allen

Part of the growing process with Smith will be acting as a sponge, something that Garrett believes is already happening.

"He's taking it all in, asking questions," said Garrett, who praised the team's rookie development program, enabling coaches to get more one-on-one and small-group time with the younger players on the team.

Smith will play three-technique defensive tackle in Jacksonville to start, something he got the opportunity to do during his final season at LSU.

"That's what I'll be playing and I'm perfectly fine with that. That's what I went to college to play. That's what I came here to play. I feel like it's different than [defensive] end. When you're a three-technique and you're good at it, it's not many people that could do that," said Smith. "You got to be a bad one in there to play at this high level."

Of course, Smith could play some defensive end in Jacksonville, too, sometime down the line. That position will be held down by DL Arik Armstead sometimes, too, someone Smith has gotten close to already.

"That's my guy. He's really taken me under his wing. Not just about football, but just about life. How to deal with my girlfriend or something like that after a long day and just simple stuff like that," Smith said with a smile.

Armstead has spoken to Smith about his career and journey, including playing big end when he first entered the league in 2015.

"Just learning the little stuff, the things that those guys, especially successful guys like that [have used]. That's what I strive to be and I think I have the ability and the capabilities to do that," said Smith.

"Listen to the greats, listen to the ones who have made a good profession out of themselves in this business. You gotta go on your own path, but taking bits and pieces of things that you need to continue growing in that way."

Another player Smith can learn from is Josh Allen, the team's most-prized defender. Some of that has already begun, and Smtih has even begun helping Allen get accustomed to the team's defense. The two shared a moment after practice and Smith expanded on that during the interview.

"He was just letting me know about how he was lined up wrong on one of the plays and I told him 'look, I'm in the three-technique, you got to scoot over. He just invited me to be able to tell him stuff like that because he's not perfect, he's still growing and aspiring to be even better," Smith said.

"Just being able to take control. He told me he knows I'm gonna be good, I'm gonna do this and that, but just being able to take control at a young age... making sure my teammates trust me."

That's something Allen has said in the past that he wants to see from all players.

With the offseason program concluded Smith will get about a month and change to prepare for the grueling days of training camp and the ensuing season. He's not thinking about a break and wants to be back out on the field, improving.

"I'll take one week off and go do a little vacation or something somewhere, but work don't stop. I got dreams and goals that I want to attain and I can take a break when I retire," he said. "Hopefully, when I'm 33, after a 12-year career, I can go and chill for the rest of my life. So, that's the plan. I'm grinding."

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X,  formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82.

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