Jaguars Coach Details How Blockbuster Trade Could Impact Rookies

How could the trade of Roy Robertson-Harris impact the Jacksonville Jaguars' young defensive tackles?

Sep 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Maason Smith (94) after the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars entered the 2024 season with a logjam at defensive tackle, leaving snaps few and far between for a pair of rookies in Maason Smith and Jordan Jefferson.

But all of that changed earlier this week when the Jaguars surprisingly traded veteran defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris to the Seattle Seahawks. The former captain had only started two games this year, but he had also played 50% of the snaps and was consistently in front of the LSU duo on Sundays.

With Robertson-Harris no longer taking snaps in the middle of Ryan Nielsen's defense, though, the first-year Jaguars coordinator sees a chance for both rookie to make an impact.

“Great opportunity, more snaps. More opportunities to go make plays. Those guys have done a good job. You'll see Jordan again out there," Nielsen said on Thursday.

Jefferson, a fourth-round selection in April, was a healthy scratch for the first five games of the season but made his NFL debut last week. Smith, the Jaguars' second-round pick, was inactive in Week 2 but has otherwise taken on rotational snaps in each game.

"He played pretty decent his first NFL game. Your first NFL game emotions are running high, and it wasn't perfect by any means but he did play hard and he did some really good things so we're encouraged," Nielsen said about Jefferson.

"Same thing with Maason, he's been playing all year, but we appreciate everything that Roy did but next-guy-up mentality. We've got a deep room there; we've kept a lot of guys. So, we feel like we're really good at that position.”

The Jaguars' defense has gotten plenty of production from defensive ends Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker this year, but the middle of the line could use a boost. With Robertson-Harris now gone, the rookies from LSU seem to be next in line to have a chance to be that answer.

“You always want more, right? You want more interceptions, you want more takeaways, you want more punch outs, tackles, at every position you always want more. So, maybe, maybe not. I think the guys have done a good job," Nielsen said.

"Josh [Hines-Allen] and Travon [Walker], last couple of games have been rolling. I like the pressure on the quarterback, they've been doing some really good things. Arik [Armstead] inside and some of those young defensive lineman have been showing up. So we'll just stay the course. We always have a different wrinkle, there's a wrinkle in third down typically but some of the same.”

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