The Falcons are gearing up for the 2023 season, which is highly anticipated. The fans, Arthur Blank, and even Arthur Smith are eager to see improvement in the form of a playoff berth.
After back-to-back 7-10 finishes, there are expectations for the club to improve in 2023. I would even go as far as to say anything less than 9-8 would be a disappointment. Everything is right in front of the Falcons, and the postseason is on everyone’s minds… except for a select few.
Some are already on to next April. The mock draft ghouls are out in full force, but I can’t lie, it’s always fun to see these things. This one comes from Matt Miller of ESPN, and it’s a particularly exciting scenario where the Falcons land one of my LSU Tigers with the 13th pick — Maason Smith
Go back to the 2021 season, and you’ll see Smith wrecking SEC offensive linemen en route to a four-sack, 12-pressure season — as a true freshman acclimating to elite college football play. Smith tore his left ACL halfway into the first game of the 2022 season, and he should take a big step forward as a junior. The 6-6, 310-pounder has the length, power and three-down skills of a 3-4 defensive end, along with the mobility to be an impact pass-rusher.
“He jumps off the tape, and you see it at practice, too,” one NFC scout said. “He has legitimate top-10 potential.” Smith would be a building block for the Falcons’ defense, which recorded a sack on 3.5% of opponent dropbacks last season (last in the NFL). Smith, however, won’t play in the Tigers’ opening game against Florida State, a source told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Wednesday.
As a true freshman, Maason Smith immediately showed he was different, displaying athleticism that few can match at his size. His sophomore campaign was highly anticipated, even earning preseason All-American hype.
Unfortunately, Smith tore his ACL during the season opener against FSU in which he celebrated a play by jumping up and landing awkwardly. He missed all of the 2022 campaign but is back for 2023 and primed for a true breakout.
The Falcons haven’t had a player like Maason Smith along the interior. Grady Jarrett is one hell of a player, but Smith’s athleticism puts him in a different category. He’s got a ceiling like Chris Jones — a truly dominant interior defender. His combination of size and movement skills also make him a versatile piece along the defensive front, able to line up nearly anywhere across the line of scrimmage.
Not only would I be overjoyed if the Falcons drafted an LSU Tiger, but Maason Smith has the potential to be a difference-maker from the moment he steps on the field as a rookie. It would give Ryan Nielsen a menacing front of Grady Jarrett, David Onyemata, Ta’Quon Graham, and Smith. It’s a fun scenario to think about.
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