The Atlanta Falcons made a straight-up defensive line trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars in April that barely registered outside the two fan bases.
Five months later, NFL insider James Palmer believes Maason Smith could turn it into one of the more interesting moves of Atlanta’s offseason.
Smith has started both games for the Falcons this season, and while his box-score production has been modest, Palmer sees much more coming from the 23-year-old defensive lineman.
James Palmer Makes Bold Maason Smith Prediction
NFL insider James Palmer listed several notes ahead of Atlanta’s Thursday night matchup against the Green Bay Packers, including one especially strong prediction about Smith.
Palmer wrote that Smith “could be a household name by end of season.”
That’s a significant call for a player who entered Week 3 with three tackles and one pass defensed through Atlanta’s first two games. Smith hasn’t recorded a sack yet this season, either.
The Falcons, however, didn’t acquire him because of what he had already done in Jacksonville. They made the move because of what they believed he still could become.
Atlanta sent Ruke Orhorhoro to Jacksonville in exchange for Smith on April 17, swapping two defensive linemen who were both second-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. Smith went No. 48 overall to the Jaguars, 13 selections after Atlanta took Orhorhoro.
Soon after the trade, Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham made it clear Smith had been on his radar for much longer than that.
AtlantaFalcons.com’s Tori McElhaney reported Cunningham had evaluated Smith “since his time at LSU.”
“We really are excited about (Smith) in an attacking front and being able to get up field,” Cunningham said. “He’s strong, he’s physical. We’re excited about his upside and getting him with coach Brich (Jeff Ulbrich) and coach (Nate) Ollie to see him take that next step.”
Falcons Bet on Maason Smith’s Upside in Trade
Smith’s physical tools have never been difficult to spot. Atlanta lists him at 6-foot-5 and 306 pounds, and head coach Kevin Stefanski said after the trade that his ability to work inside was exactly what the Falcons wanted.
Cunningham also noted that Smith could play both nose tackle and three-technique, giving Atlanta a different type of interior defender than Orhorhoro.
Smith’s path to this point has included plenty of projection. He was a five-star recruit before landing at LSU and earned Freshman All-America honors in 2021. A torn ACL ended his 2022 season almost immediately, and he returned to start 12 games in 2023 before entering the draft.
Jacksonville selected him 48th overall in 2024. As a rookie, Smith recorded 17 tackles, three sacks, three tackles for loss and four quarterback hits in 11 games. His second season was quieter, with 15 tackles and no sacks in 13 appearances.
Atlanta still saw enough to trade another recent second-round pick for him.
Smith has since moved directly into the starting lineup. The Falcons’ Week 3 depth chart lists him as a starter on the defensive line, ahead of Gervon Dexter Sr., giving him an immediate opportunity to turn Palmer’s prediction into something more than preseason-style hype.
Two games won’t tell Atlanta whether it won the trade. Neither will one Thursday night at Lambeau Field.
But if Palmer is right, the Falcons may have acquired a player in April that a lot more NFL fans know by January.
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