The Ravens are among several teams interested in the projected early-to-mid-round with elite athletic traits.
Adding more depth and competition to the interior defensive line isn’t nearly as big a need for the Baltimore Ravens heading into the 2024 NFL Draft as their interior offensive counterparts, particularly at guard. By extending Pro Bowl defensive tackle Justin Madubuike and re-signing defensive end Brent Urban, general manager Eric DeCosta was able to bring back the entire position group from a 2023 pass rush unit that led the league in sacks and saw career years from several of its trench players.
However, if a talented defensive lineman such as LSU’s Maason Smith falls to them and is the best available prospect on their board, the Ravens likely won’t pass up the opportunity to add him. According to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, they are one of a dozen teams who hosted “one of the more intriguing prospects based on his upside.”
#LSU DT Maason Smith, one of the more intriguing prospects based on his upside, has visited with the #Saints, #Bengals, #Steelers, #Jets, #Giants, #Vikings, #Bills, #Panthers, #Packers, #AZCardinals, #Ravens, and #Seahawks.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 22, 2024
In an era and draft class where undersized interior pass rushers are being valued and viewed as more of a premium, Smith is a bit of a throwback to the old guard when big, strong, long and athletically gifted prospects were the most alluring traits a prospect could possess. At 6-foot-5 and 306 pounds with 35-inch arms, he was tailormade to play five-technique in a 3-4 at the next level where he can use his length and strength to his advantage from the interior and occasionally off the edge.
Smith is a former five-star recruit who appeared to be on the pathway to stardom after a standout freshman season in 2021 when he recorded 13 solo tackles, four sacks, and five tackles for loss in seven games. A season-ending injury suffered early in the 2022 opener against Florida State wiped out his entire sophomore year and a one-game suspension related to improper benefiting from signing autographs before NIL deals were allowed delayed the start of his junior campaign.
In 2023, Smith had a solid first year back from a major injury and finished with a career-high 28 total tackles including 4.5 for a loss and added 2.5 sacks to his career total. While he still wasn’t quite the consistently dominant force who looked like a lock to be a future first-round pick, he still flashed his disruptive play-making ability when it came to taking on and splitting down teams, penetrating into the backfield and collapsing the pocket from up the middle.
LSU DT Maason Smith –
RAS: 8.46
– Freak athlete
– Terrific run stuffer with great length and size
– Loves physicality
– Consistent motor play after play
– Can play a bit high at times
– Needs to work on his tackling and overall pursuit abilitypic.twitter.com/sUrQsSRSPM— Cønnør (@BernienChompz) April 22, 2024
The third round is where Smith is currently being projected to come off the board and has been a sweet spot for the Ravens as of late when it comes to drafting impactful interior defensive linemen every other year. In 2020, they drafted Madubuike out of Texas A&M at No. 71 overall and he is coming off a breakout 2023 season in which led the Ravens and all interior defensive linemen in the league with a career-high 13 sacks. In 2022, they took Travis Jones out of UCONN at No. 76 and he has flashed game-breaking potential at times during his first two seasons including 1.5 sacks, five quarterback hits, and four tackles for loss last year.
In both instances, the Ravens were well-stocked on the defensive line the years they got drafted but it didn’t stop them from having an eye toward the future and sticking with their best player available philosophy. If Smith is still on the board when they are on the clock at No. 93 overall in the third round on Friday, he could very well be in play for them to take.