Key Jaguars Defender Activated from PUP List

The Jaguars get a key defensive player back up front after a sublime performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first preseason game last Saturday. Former Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Austin Johnson was signed almost two weeks ago, as Smith and veteran Arik Armstead were absent from camp.

Smith, a second-year player out of LSU, enters the 2025 season with higher expectations placed on him. Once considered a potential high draft choice, a torn ACL almost four years ago, and inconsistencies in his play led to him falling to the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

As a rookie, Smith flashed his potential on occasion with three sacks, three passes defended, and 17 total tackles as a rotational defensive tackle throughout the season. As Jacksonville began dealing with injuries in a lost 2024 season, Smith and younger players on the roster stepped up and made plays, establishing incumbent contributors for the 2025 campaign.

Despite Smith's return, some assistance up front will still be needed, as defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile seeks to help establish a new identity —one that could propel a talented Jaguars defense to new heights. The 6-foot-5, 306-pound Smith will play a significant role and will have plenty of time to prepare for the team's season opener against the Carolina Panthers next month.

Smith should provide a boost to the team's performance in the trenches at practice and throughout the remainder of the preseason. As the former second-round draft choice continues to develop, so does the rest of the defense, a unit hoping to take a step forward in discipline and production on all three levels of the field.

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