Maason Smith 2024 NFL Draft Profile
We’re talking turkey on Maason Smith. Do you want in? I got you here so I’m just going to get one with it because it feels impossible trying to not repeat myself in these intro paragraphs. Here is your 2024 NFL Draft Profile on Maason Smith.
Do you believe in the karma gods? Are they on your side? Really, that’s all this is. You’re throwing a calculated dart throw and hoping the draft gods favor you. There is just a certain point in the draft where you have to take the shot here. Such a mysterious player to talk about.
Monster recruit. Smith was a five star and the number one player in the entire state of Louisiana during the 2021 cycle. If they hold the draft after his freshman season, no question the guy is a top ten pick. Played nine games as a freshman starting roughly half of them. Four sacks from the interior that young is a hard thing to do.
Then the ugly started to pile on. Suffered bad shoulder injuries during a successful freshman season. Is it bad luck or will he be injury prone at the next level? Missed essentially the entire 2022 season after tearing ACL against Florida State. Then in the most cruel punishment ever, missed the revenge game against Florida State in 2023 and was suspended by the NCAA for things prior to the NIL rules being installed. Notched 4.5 tackles for loss with 2.5 sacks in 12 starts this past year. The problem is the LSU defense was such a mess that it was almost impossible to know who the problem was. That’s not an understatement. The LSU defense was next level bad and made evaluating Smith just impossible.
The Combine probably raised more questions than answers. The guy is obviously talented but he was definitely a bit stiff in the movement stuff. What if that is lingering injury stuff that’s lost? His 5.01 40 time wasn’t anything crazy either. The former LSU certainly has size on his side checking in at 6-foot-5, 306, with 35 inch arms.
I’m in on the Maason Smith flier. This is what smart teams do. Trade down and take calculated fliers like this. 3-4 teams should be foaming at the mouth to add him as the defensive end in that scheme. Guys like that don’t grow on trees and Smith’s potential to thrive in that spot is too tantalizing to pass.
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