Falcons and Jaguars Swap Defensive Tackles in Rare Mid-Draft-Season Trade
The Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars just made a move that tells you everything about what both teams think they need right now. On Friday, the two NFC South rivals swapped defensive tackles, with Atlanta sending Ruke Orhorhoro to Jacksonville in exchange for Maason Smith. Both players were 2024 second-round picks, and both teams clearly believe the grass might be greener on the other side of the field.
The Players Involved
Orhorhoro, selected 35th overall two years ago, has logged 25 games with eight starts for the Falcons. He's put up 36 tackles, 3.5 sacks, seven QB hits and one pass breakup. He's been solid but maybe not quite the game-changer Atlanta hoped for with that early second-round selection.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at KalshiSmith, meanwhile, went just 13 spots later in that same draft class. In 24 games with seven starts for Jacksonville, he's recorded 32 tackles, three sacks, four QB hits and four pass breakups. Stats are similar, production is comparable, so what gives?
Why The Jaguars Make This Move
Jacksonville led the entire league in run defense last season. That's not an accident, and that's not something the Jaguars are looking to abandon. Trading for Orhorhoro suggests they believe he fits better into what they're building on that front. Meanwhile, the Falcons were 24th against the run, so they clearly need to figure something out in the trenches.
Here's the wild part: neither team has a first-round pick in next week's draft. The Falcons don't pick until 48th overall, and the Jaguars wait until 56th. That means both teams are still expected to target defensive tackle help in the upcoming draft. This swap isn't about solving the problem. It's about tweaking what they've got while they hunt for the next big thing.
Watch how both these defensive lines look over the next few weeks. One team is going to look a lot smarter for making this call.
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