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Ahead of what some expect to be a trade-heavy draft, the Falcons and Jaguars have executed a defensive tackle trade. And no, Dexter Lawrence—who has reportedly requested a trade from the Giants—is not involved.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Falcons are sending defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro to the Jaguars in exchange for defensive tackle Maason Smith. Both Orhorhoro and Smith were selected in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft, just 13 picks away from each other. The Falcons took Orhorhoro at No. 35 while Smith was drafted at No. 48.
This is a player-for-player trade that is not common in the NFL, but has happened as of late, including when the Jets and Titans swapped Jermaine Johnson and T’Vondre Sweat in February. Both the Falcons and Jaguars have hired new general managers and defensive coordinators since Orhorhoro and Smith were drafted, and are looking to move in another direction while giving each player a fresh start. Atlanta and Jacksonville notably do not have first-round picks in this year’s drafts, and instead have orchestrated this swap before the draft begins while not costing themselves more picks.
Atlanta Falcons receive: DT Maason Smith
For the Falcons, this move is a reflection of their mistakes made under the previous regime led by former general manager Terry Fontenot. The Falcons were heavily criticized for drafting Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick just one month after signing Kirk Cousins to a massive deal, but that wasn’t their only mistake. Later in that draft, they made another puzzling move by trading up in the second round to bring in Orhorhoro, who was projected to be a third-round pick and is now leaving the team just after two seasons in Atlanta. To add to the wound, just a few picks later, the Rams landed a much better defensive tackle in Braden Fiske at No. 39. Orhorhoro ranked 123rd of 127 defensive tackles in 2025 according to PFF, and received particularly low marks for his run defense, an area of weakness for the Falcons’ defense as a whole.
Grade: C+
Jacksonville Jaguars receive: DT Ruke Orhorhoro
For the Jaguars, this trade allows them to move off of Maason Smith, who saw his defensive snaps decrease in 2025 and was a healthy scratch in multiple games, including their playoff loss to the Bills. Smith continued to practice hard as he saw his role reduced, according to The Florida Times-Union, and ideally will have the chance to rebound in Atlanta. Defensive tackle is a need for the Jaguars, who will give Orhorhoro another chance after he tallied 3.5 sacks for the Falcons in 2025. Orhorhoro at least gives the Jaguars another option to replace Smith, and if he doesn’t pan out, it was a low stakes move for James Gladstone and Co.
Grade: B
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EVA GEITHEIM
Eva Geitheim is an NFL writer at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor’s in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or rewatching Gilmore Girls.
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