New Falcons DL Maason Smith Thrilled to be 'Celebrated not Tolerated'

The Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars swapped former 2nd-round defensive linemen in April, hoping to kickstart both their careers.

The Atlanta Falcons traded with the Jacksonville Jaguars for defensive tackle Maason Smith. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Maason Smith found out he had been traded to the Atlanta Falcons while on a golf course. He was shocked to hear the news, but said it was a good shock because coming to Atlanta was a great opportunity for him. 

Smith was dealt in a rare player-for-player trade that sent Ruke Orhorhoro to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Smith to the Falcons back in April. Once he had a little time to process the trade, Smith was excited to be coming to Atlanta. 

“You’d rather be somewhere where you’re celebrated and not tolerated,” Smith said. “So I’m here for a reason, and god put me here for a reason, and I’m ready to go ball.”

Smith, a five-star recruit in high school, played his college ball at LSU. After a solid freshman year, he suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the Tigers' season opener of his sophomore season. He came back for one more solid year and was drafted by Jacksonville in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft. 

In his rookie season, Smith started five games and had three sacks and three pass deflections. He said he felt more comfortable as the season went on and was happy with the way he finished the year. 

However, the Jaguars had signed veteran defensive tackle Arik Armstead to a three-year, $43.5 million contract. This made it hard for Smith to find the field and led to what he said was the hardest football season of his life in his second year in the league. 

“It’s been rocky (my career), up and down, but I’ve stuck it out for the long run,” Smith said. “A lot of guys that went through what I’ve gone through in my first two years in the league would let it affect their confidence, but I’m always going to believe in myself.”

Last season's struggles left a poor taste in his mouth, which he said has only made him work harder in preparation for this year.

Now with a new team and in a new system, Smith is looking forward to the opportunity to be more featured in a scheme that he feels fits his strengths. 

“The scheme that we play here is different than what I’ve been playing, but I feel like this scheme is definitely built for a guy like me with fast feet and being able to make plays with athleticism,” Smith said. 

Defensive line coach Nate Ollie’s system promotes his players to use speed and chaos to penetrate the offensive line and wreak havoc in the backfield. Standing at six-foot-five, 306 pounds, with an 8.99 relative athletic score, Smith fits Ollie’s system perfectly.