Falcons, Jaguars Swap DTs Ruke Orhorhoro, Maason Smith
The Falcons and Jaguars have changed GMs and coaching staffs since the 2024 draft, when the teams respectively chose Ruke Orhorhoro and Maason Smith in the second round. The two defensive tackles are now switching sides.
Atlanta is sending Orhorhoro to Jacksonville for Smith, straight up, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Both D-tackles have two seasons left on their rookie contracts. The trade has since been announced.
This trade involves eerily similar profiles. The Falcons chose Orhorhoro 35th in the 2024 draft, while the Jags added Smith at No. 48. Orhorhoro has made eight career starts; Smith has made seven. Orhorhoro has three career sacks, Smith 3.5.
GM Terry Fontenot traded up for Orhorhoro two drafts ago, sending the Cardinals a third-round pick in exchange for a sixth-rounder and No. 35 — which the NFC South team used on the Clemson product. GM Trent Baalke selected Smith 13 spots later. Neither player has stood out as a pro, and this trade will give each a fresh start. Acquired by GM James Gladstone, Orhorhoro will now play for Jaguars DC Anthony Campanile. The Matt Ryan/Ian Cunningham tandem will plug Smith into Jeff Ulbrich‘s defense.
Pro Football Focus ranked Smith 100th among 127 qualified interior D-linemen last season and slotted Orhorhoro 123rd (due largely to a porous grade in run stoppage). Ulbrich received a decent look at Orhorhoro last season, using him on 54% of Atlanta’s defensive snaps. That evidently was enough to determine he was not a good fit. Smith played 51% of the Jags’ defensive snaps as a rookie but dropped to a 36% snap share last season.
Orhorhoro, 24, combined to make 24 tackles for loss from 2021-23 at Clemson. He tallied nine sacks between the 2022 and ’23 seasons, creating a quality draft profile. Smith, 23, was not as productive at LSU. He tallied 4.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks as a junior in 2023, but the former five-star recruit saw his college career altered by an ACL tear in the Tigers’ 2022 opener.
Smith is due a $1.1MM 2026 salary guarantee, but no money is locked in for 2027. As second-round picks continue to make guarantee gains, Orhorhoro secured a $1.7MM 2026 guarantee and has $966K locked in for 2027. This move gives the Falcons a bit more flexibility, but both players have work to do at their next destinations if they want to target free agency paydays down the road.
The Falcons have now added Smith, Da’Shawn Hand and Chris Williams to their defensive line this offseason, with Samson Ebukam and Azeez Ojulari joining as edge rushers. Jacksonville has been less active, as Orhorhoro is their only notable D-line addition. That could certainly change via the draft. The Jags return Arik Armstead and DaVon Hamilton, while the Falcons — who lost David Onyemata (to the Jets) in free agency — have part-time 2025 starters Brandon Dorlus and Zach Harrison under contract as interior D-linemen.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/14/25
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived/injured: OL Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: DE Nelson Ceaser, TE Matt Sokol
- Released: DE Justin Hollins
- Waived: WR Jalen Virgil
Detroit Lions
- Signed: CB Allan George, OL Zack Johnson
- Placed on IR: CB Dicaprio Bootle, OL Keaton Sutherland
Houston Texans
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DL Marlon Davidson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from active/PUP list: DT Maason Smith
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: CB Harrison Hand
- Waived/injured: WR Dez Fitzpatrick
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DE Jeremiah Martin
- Waived: QB Hunter Dekkers
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: FB Wesley Steiner
- Waived: LB Michael Dowell
Tennessee Titans
- Released from IR via injury settlement: OL Chandler Brewer
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/22/25
With training camps kicking off around the NFL, teams continue to make adjustments to their rosters. Here are today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: TE Matt Sokol, WR David White
- Waived: WR Kelly Akharaiyi, P Jake Camarda
- Placed on active/PUP: OT Spencer Brown, C Sedrick Van Pran-Granger
- Placed on active/NFI: TE Dawson Knox
- Activated from active/PUP: DE Landon Jackson
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: TE Tyler Mabry
- Released/failed physical: LB Josey Jewell (story)
- Placed on active/NFI: DT Bobby Brown
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: DT Dante Barnett
- Placed on active/NFI: RB Zack Moss
Cleveland Browns
- Waived (with injury designation): WR Jaelen Gill
- Placed on active/PUP: DT Mike Hall Jr., QB Deshaun Watson
- Placed on active/NFI: WR David Bell
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: K Mark McNamee
Houston Texans
- Waived: CB Keydrain Calligan
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on active/PUP: DT Maason Smith
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: WR Phillip Dorsett, G Atonio Mafi, WR Seth Williams
- Waived: CB Mello Dotson, WR Zakhair Franklin, WR Key’Shawn Smith, LB Jailin Walker
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: OT Savion Washington
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: OL Daniel Brunskill
- Waived: QB Brett Gabbert
- Placed on active/PUP: OL Liam Eichenberg, TE Darren Waller
- Placed on active/NFI: S Ifeatu Melifonwu
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on active/PUP: TE Taysom Hill, TE Foster Moreau
- Placed on reserve/retired: TE Dallin Holker, S Tyrann Mathieu (story)
New York Giants
- Signed: S K’Von Wallace
- Waived/failed physical: S Anthony Johnson Jr.
- Placed on active/PUP: RB Eric Gray, LT Andrew Thomas
- Placed on active/NFI: LB Victor Dimukeje
New York Jets
- Waived: OT Obinna Eze
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: WR Equanimeous St. Brown
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Placed on active/PUP: OT Silas Dzansi, WR Chris Godwin, G Sua Opeta, QB Michael Pratt, OT Tristan Wirfs
- Placed on active/NFI: LB Anthony Walker
- Placed on active/non-football illness: DL Desmond Watson
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on active/PUP: C Lloyd Cushenberry, CB L’Jarius Sneed
Washington Commanders
- Waived/NFI: RB Michael Wiley
Jaguars Sign Round 2 DT Maason Smith
In addition to making Brian Thomas Jr. a priority during the draft, the Jaguars invested heavily in LSU’s defensive line. Two former Tigers defensive tackles — Maason Smith, Jordan Jefferson — became Duval County-bound during the draft.
The first of those DT draftees, Smith, is now signed to his four-year rookie contract. The Jaguars inked the No. 48 overall pick Thursday; the contract — which will come mostly guaranteed — will run through 2027. Recent second-round deals — most notably the Colts’ agreement with No. 52 overall pick Adonai Mitchell — undoubtedly helped Smith on the contract front.
Indianapolis guaranteed $700K of Mitchell’s 2026 base salary. Being chosen four spots in front of the Texas wideout, Smith presumably secured better terms from the Jags. As second-rounders are making significant guarantee gains this year, Smith will step in and aim to provide a boost for the Jags’ defensive line.
Jacksonville fared better against the run (ninth) than against the pass (26th) last season, and the team added ex-Trent Baalke 49ers draftee Arik Armstead to provide a proven interior presence alongside Roy Robertson-Harris and DaVon Hamilton. As they did with Travon Walker, the Jaguars will bet on upside with Smith, who saw an injury disrupt his college career.
Smith sustained an ACL tear on LSU’s first defensive possession of the 2022 season, stalling the five-star recruit’s progress. As a freshman in 2021, Smith totaled four sacks. The 6-foot-5, 306-pound interior defender profiles as a bit of a project due to the major injury, and he was not quite as productive in nine games last season. Smith totaled 2.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss in 2023.
The Jags nevertheless took a swing with their second-round pick, with the team clearly impressed with LSU’s D-line operation due to the fourth-round Jefferson investment.