FLOWERY BRANCH, GA. — The Atlanta Falcons acquired defensive lineman Maason Smith in a trade during the 2026 offseason. Smith is 23 years old and was a second-round draft pick.

Smith joins a defensive line room that includes third-year players Brandon Dorlus and LaCale London, and fourth-year player Zach Harrison. Other defensive linemen on the Falcons roster include Da'Shawn Hand, Ross Blacklock, Carlos Allen Jr., Devonnsha Maxwell, Chris Williams, and Anterio Thompson. Hand is an eight-year NFL veteran.

Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham commented on Smith's capabilities. "It's a player that can play nose tackle and three-tech for us," Cunningham said. "He's strong. He's physical. We're excited about his upside."

In the 2025 season, David Onyemata and Ruke Orhorhoro played the most snaps among Atlanta Falcons defensive linemen. Kentavius Street played nearly 20% of the team's defensive snaps during that season. Dorlus recorded 8.5 sacks in the 2025 season, which was the second most on the Falcons and the second most among all NFL defensive tackles. Nate Ollie is in his second season as the Falcons defensive line coach, and Dave Huxtable is in his fourth season as the senior defensive assistant.