Report: Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars agree to trade involving Ruke Orhorhoro, Masson Smith

The 2026 NFL Draft is less than a week away, but that hasn’t stopped teams from making moves. Case in point, the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars swapped a pair of second-year defensive tackles on Friday afternoon, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Falcons traded defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro, the No. 35 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, to the Jaguars for defensive tackle Maason Smith, the No. 48 overall pick that same year. It’s a fresh start for two talented, young defensive linemen two years after both were second-round picks. And, surprisingly, it didn’t involve any draft pick compensation on either side.

After barely seeing the field as a rookie in 2024, the 6-foot-4, 295-pound Orhorhoro finished 2025 with 25 total tackles and 3 1/2 sacks in 17 games, mostly as a reserve lineman. Meanwhile, the 6-foot-4, 306-pound Smith started six games over the past two seasons but mostly struggled to make a consistent impact with just 32 combined tackles and three sacks, the latter of which all came as a rookie in 2024.

Now both are headed for new opportunities elsewhere.

Falcons, Jaguars enter 2026 NFL Draft without first-round picks after 2025 trades

Interestingly enough, both Atlanta and Jacksonville enter next week’s draft without a first-round pick after trading them to move up in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Jaguars famously traded its 2026 first-rounder — which would be No. 24 overall — and No. 5 overall in 2025 with Cleveland for the No. 2 overall pick to select two-way standout and 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.

Meanwhile, the Falcons traded their 2026 first-rounder — which will be the No. 13 overall pick — as part of a deal with the Los Angeles Rams to move back into the first round of the 2025 draft and select former Tennessee pass rusher James Peace Jr. with the No. 26 overall pick. Pearce went on to have a breakout rookie season with the Falcons, recording 26 tackles,10 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, and 16 quarterback hits in 17 games in 2025. But Pearce’s future with both Atlanta and the NFL remains in question after he was arrested earlier this offseason on multiple felony charges.

Pearce was arrested Feb. 7 in Miami-Dade County (Fla.) following an alleged domestic dispute with his former girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson, during which he allegedly drove his car into both Jackson’s vehicle and a Miami police officer. In addition to his six criminal charges, the 22-year-old former Tennessee star was also cited with reckless driving with damage to a person or property; operating on the wrong side of the road; fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer; lack of obedience to police and fire department officials; turning right from the wrong lane; failure to yield or stop at a stop sign (two counts); driving without a safety belt; and cutting across private property to avoid traffic, according to ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, who reviewed the incident report.