The Falcons are trading defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro to the Jaguars on Friday in a straight swap for Maason Smith, a move that sends two 2024 second-round picks to new homes before the heart of the season settles in.
Orhorhoro, a former second-round pick out of Clemson, gave Atlanta a steady return in 2025. He appeared in all 17 games, finishing with 25 tackles, four tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and one pass defense. Smith, whom Jacksonville took with the No. 48 overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, played in 13 games this year and logged 15 tackles and one pass defense.
The deal matters because both players are still early in their rookie contracts. Orhorhoro is in the third year of a four-year, $9,916,126 contract that includes a $4,031,728 signing bonus, while Smith is entering the third year of a four-year, $8,018,596 contract that came with a $2,651,704 signing bonus. For two teams willing to exchange young interior linemen now, the calculation is as much about fit and timing as it is about draft pedigree.
Orhorhoro arrived in the league with a reputation built at Clemson, where he was a three-year starter and earned third-team All-ACC honors in 2023. Smith brought his own résumé from LSU, where he was a one-year starter and was named a freshman All-American and freshman All-SEC in 2021. Friday’s trade essentially resets each player’s first chapter, giving the Falcons a chance to bet on Smith’s upside and the Jaguars a chance to see whether Orhorhoro’s production translates into a bigger role in Jacksonville.
The swap also underlines how little margin there can be for second-round defensive tackles in the NFL. Teams invest real draft capital and real money, then move quickly if they believe the player across the table fits better. For Orhorhoro, the move gives him a new start after a productive season in Atlanta. For Smith, it is a chance to turn flashes into a larger body of work in a different locker room.