‘Dominant’ Defensive Lineman Has Predraft Visit With Packers

One of the most intriguing defensive linemen in the 2024 NFL Draft, LSU’s Maason Smith, had a predraft visit with the Packers.

Maason Smith / Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Maason Smith, a big, athletic defensive lineman from LSU, has had a predraft visit with the Green Bay Packers, according to The Draft Network’s Justin Melo.

After missing the 2022 season with a torn ACL, Smith had 2.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for losses in 2023. However, he’s got the athletic goods to be a dominant force.

Who Is Maason Smith?

Coming out of Houma, La., Smith was a five-star recruit. “The most imposing player on the LSU roster” and an “extremely hard worker in all areas of the game,” reads his bio on the LSU athletics site.

He was a Freshman All-American in 2021 but missed all but the opening series of the 2022 season with a torn ACL. He missed the 2023 opener after being suspended by the NCAA for an “improper benefit.” He started the next 12 games but played his best ball down the stretch with five tackles vs. Georgia State, five tackles vs. Texas A&M and a sack vs. Wisconsin in his final three games.

“I didn’t feel like things were necessarily going in my favor throughout the early portion of the season. I got a lot better as the season progressed forward. I had to get back to being dominant,” he told Melo. “I kept my head down and continued to work hard. Eventually, that progression came. I got back to being Maason Smith. That’s all that was. I feel like I got a lot better. I felt very disruptive around the line of scrimmage. I got back to being comfortable.”

The career numbers, however, are underwhelming with 6.5 sacks, 9.5 tackles for losses, two batted passes and 47 tackles in 22 career games that included 17 starts.

But the physical tools are impossible to ignore. At 6-foot-5 1/8 and 306 pounds, he ran his 40 in 5.01 seconds, part of a Relative Athletic Score of 8.46. His 35-inch arms are among the longest in the draft class.

He was the first player in program history to wear No. 0.

What Would Maason Smith Bring to Packers?

Size. Athleticism. Upside.

“I’ve always been very athletic for my size,” he told Melo. “I move well laterally for a defender of my stature. I definitely think my skill set and the on-field production have a ton to do with my overall athletic ability.”

The Packers are pretty well set on the defensive line. Every snap from 2023 is back for 2024. In the old 3-4 defense, the Packers used three linemen in their base defense. In the new 4-3, they’ll only use two.

While it might not make sense for the Packers take Just A Guy in this year’s draft, taking a big swing on a potential impact player makes a lot of sense. Longtime stalwart Kenny Clark is entering his final season under contract, as is TJ Slaton. Last year’s fourth-round pick, Colby Wooden, had a nondescript rookie season.

“With the knee injury comes adversity,” he said at the Combine. “I’ve been through a lot of things. I feel like my character’s grown from it and I’ve become a better person.”

What Is Maason Smith’s Draft Projection?

In the immortal words of the late Ted Thompson, the Good Lord didn’t make too many people like Maason Smith. With a superb combination of size, length and athleticism, he almost certainly will be a Day 2 draft pick despite the lack of dominant production. The Packers own the 41st and 58th picks of the second round.

“There was legitimate Round 1 buzz about him,” ESPN NFL draft analyst Matt Miller said. “Not just from us in the media, but from people at LSU. They really thought that he was going to come in and become that dominant player. That potential is still there. It will be interesting to see if somebody can unearth that from his game.”

Maason Smith / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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