Dawuane Smoot’s sack total dropped from eight in 2015 to five last season, and that probably contributed to the fact that he was still available at No. 68 overall — the fourth pick in the third round when Jacksonville called.
But his body of work with the University of Illinois was enough to make him a Day 2 selection for a team that continues to load up on defense. Smoot, a 6-foot-3, 264-pound defensive end, will begin his NFL career backing up free agent acquisition Calais Campbell, the former Arizona Cardinal.
“I was getting a little stressed because I didn’t get picked up yet,” Smoot said on his conference call with Jacksonville reporters.