Historically, LSU football has been well known for its defensive back play, largely thanks to big-name players like Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu. In fact, many go as far as dubbing the Tigers DB-University, claiming to be the premier team when it comes to producing at the position. However, things might turn out differently this year as LSU football has multiple defensive linemen with their eyes focused on the 2024 NFL draft.
Every year, Power Football Focus releases a series of lists preparing for the annual NFL draft. One such list gives 10 defensive prospects at each position to keep an eye on. Heading into the 2024 NFL draft, the LSU football team is well represented on that list, particularly along the defensive line. The Tigers had two representatives within their 10 interior defensive linemen to watch. Mekhi Wingo and Maason Smith each made an appearance.
2024 NFL Draft: Maason Smith will be a star at the next level
There’s no questioning Maason Smith’s star power. He was highly rated coming out of high school, and expectations have been through the roof since he stepped foot on campus. Now, it’s looking like the next step for the big man is stardom at the next level through the 2024 NFL draft.
He truly has it all. He has the kind of athleticism to the point where he could step outside as an edge rusher, but also the size to dominate in the trenches. That’s not something you find very often. Most edge rushers start as linebackers because of how important speed is to the position. For Maason Smith, however, it just doesn’t matter.
Had Smith not gotten injured early last season, the stars were the limit for him in 2022. It’s just a matter of putting it all together and getting healthy for 2023 and the upcoming draft. If he can put together a solid season, NFL teams won’t be able to help themselves, and he should get picked up fairly early on.
Here is what PFF had to say about Maason Smith’s potential as a draft prospect heading into 2023:
“Smith played all of eight snaps last season before tearing his ACL. Despite his 6-foot-5, 300-pound frame, he lined up mostly along the edge for LSU in his freshman year, showing how incredible of an athlete he is. In 2021, he recorded four sacks on 198 pass-rushing snaps.”
Mekhi Wingo is another name to watch heading into next year’s draft
When fellow defensive lineman Maason Smith went down in the first game of 2022, someone needed to step up in a major way. Insert Mekhi Wingo, and suddenly, all fears were alleviated for LSU football fans.
Wingo excelled as the leading man within the Tigers’ interior defensive line. The sophomore out of St. Louis, MO, was an absolute brick wall throughout the season. In addition to recording four sacks on the year, he made 43 total tackles, an increase of 16 the season prior.
One of the most underrated aspects of Wingo was the fact that he recorded four pass breakups. This might be one of the most impressive stats for a defensive lineman. It means even when you can’t get to the quarterback, you’re aware enough to put your arm up to swat any pass down at the line of scrimmage. These kinds of high-IQ plays are exactly why any NFL franchise will be lucky to have him on their team in the future.
PFF had some encouraging words when talking about Mekhi Wingo as an NFL prospect:
“After an impressive freshman season at Missouri, Wingo transferred to LSU this past season. He practically never came off the field for the Tigers, as the sophomore’s 821 snaps were 30-plus more than any other interior defensive lineman in college football. His 84.3 run-defense grade ranked third among SEC interior defensive linemen, while his four sacks were tied for the most.”
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