One of the greatest NFL coaches of all time gives his stamp of approval on Jaguars' controversial draft pick

The Jacksonville Jaguars found themselves in the midst of controversy following the 2024 NFL Draft, as they made a surprising early pick. While each team has its own player rankings, it's rare to see a prospect ranked drastically differently by different teams. The Jaguars' decision, therefore, raised eyebrows and sparked debate.

But, sometimes, you will have a team that has a prospect ranked as a fourth-rounder, but another team has him as a second-rounder. That happens more often and may have happened to the Jaguars. Everyone was somewhat in shock when they took their second LSU Tiger of the draft. Sure, the Jaguars needed defensive tackle help, but Maason Smith was a consensus day-three pick that the Jaguars took in the second round.

While the Jaguars' draft strategy may seem unconventional, it's important to consider that they may have had a unique perspective on Maason Smith's potential. Their decision could be seen as a calculated risk, based on a significantly higher ranking for Smith than other teams.

What we do know is that the Kansas City Chiefs, the back-to-back Super Bowl champions and a dynasty franchise, liked Smith a lot and may have also taken him in the same area.

Much like the Chiefs, the Jaguars do a docuseries during the season and offseason about what's going on behind the scenes, sort of like an HBO Hard Knocks. The Chiefs are called 'The Franchise,' and the Jaguars are called 'The Hunt,' in which they recapped the 2024 NFL Draft but showed how the decisions were being made in the war room and other things of that nature.

When watching the newest episode of 'The Hunt,' there is a scene that shows Pederson in the war room talking about Maason Smith. He mentions that Andy Reid, head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and one of the greatest coaches of all time, really liked the pick of Smith.

Andy Reid has been known to find great talent in the draft. He traded up for Patrick Mahomes when no one ever thought the guy would be what he is today. Let's not forget about Chris Jones being a second-round pick and Travis Kelce being a third-round pick.

To hear a guy like Reid say that about Smith should make some fans feel a bit better. We have no idea whether he will live up to the expectations, but if he goes on the internet and sees all of the fan base hating on him, it won't make it any easier on him. And, who knows, maybe the Jaguars got a steal.