{"id":868887,"date":"2026-04-18T03:42:53","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T03:42:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/868887\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T03:42:53","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T03:42:53","slug":"jacksonville-jaguars-trade-maason-smith-to-falcons-for-ruke-orhorhoro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/868887\/","title":{"rendered":"Jacksonville Jaguars trade: Maason Smith to Falcons for Ruke Orhorhoro"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Jacksonville Jaguars<\/a> have traded former 2024 second-round selection, defensive lineman Maason Smith<\/a> in exchange for Atlanta Falcons<\/a> DL Ruke Orhorhoro, a source confirmed to the Times-Union Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n

The Jaguars announced the move officially later in the day<\/a>. In addition to the trade, Jacksonville announced they waived former seventh-round draft pick, offensive lineman Cooper Hodges.<\/p>\n

ESPN was first to report the player-for-player deal.<\/p>\n

Orhorhoro was also drafted in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 13 picks ahead of Smith with the 35th overall selection in that year’s draft.<\/p>\n

Jaguars<\/a> 2026 NFL Draft guide: Everything you need to know<\/a><\/p>\n

Smith, 6-foot-5, 306 pounds was expected to be one of the team’s anchor players on the defensive line, bringing pass rush ability from the interior of the team’s defense.<\/p>\n

In 2024, Smith started just five games, playing in 11 after a slow start to the season. Smith capitalized on extended playing time as the season came to a close, finishing with three sacks. In 2024, Smith saw the field on 51% of the team’s defensive snaps.<\/p>\n

In 2025, however, Smith’s snap count dropped dramatically to just 36%, playing on 311 of of the team’s defensive snaps. Smith played in 13 games, starting two. He totaled 15 tackles (four solos), but was shutout in impacting the quarterback with zero tackles for loss, sacks and quarterback hits.<\/p>\n

Orhorhoro, 6-foot-4, 295 pounds, has played in 25 games for the Falcons with eight starts. Last season, Orhorhoro accounted for 25 tackles (12 solos), four tackles for loss, six quarterback hits and 3.5 sacks through 17 games played (eight starts). In his rookie year, Orhorhoro played in just eight games.<\/p>\n

The then-rookie sustained a significant ankle injury midway through the year which cost him playing time.<\/p>\n

The Jaguars will continue to address the needs on the team throughout the month of April, starting next week with the 2026 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n

Demetrius Harvey is\u00a0the\u00a0Jacksonville Jaguars<\/a>\u00a0reporter\u00a0for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X\u00a0(formerly Twitter)\u00a0at\u00a0@Demetrius82<\/a>\u00a0or on\u00a0Bluesky\u00a0<\/a>at\u00a0Demetrius<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you’re a subscriber, thank you. If not, please consider subscribing<\/a>\u00a0to support local journalism in Northeast Florida.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars trade DL Maason Smith for Falcons’ Ruke Orhorhoro<\/a><\/p>\n