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Jaguars plan for Dawuane Smoot is at left end

Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports

The Jacksonville Jaguars used their third round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft on Illinois defensive end Dawuan Smoot, to the surprise of virtually everyone. It wasn't that Smoot was not expected to be picked as high as the third round, which is about where he was projected, it was just with some of the names still on the board he seemed to come out of nowhere. There were names such as Alabama pass rusher Tim Williams and Auburn pass rusher Carl Lawson still on the board, but the Jaguars decided to go with Smoot.

After the Jaguars met with the media following the pick, we have a better idea why. The team envisions Smoot as a backup at strongside end to veteran free agent signing Calais Campbell.

"This guy can power-rush you, but he can also play inside in passing situations and you saw him do that at Illinois," Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell told Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida Times-Union on Friday evening.

"I feel very excited," Smoot told reporters in a conference call shortly after he was selected by the Jaguars in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. "I'm ready to learn and I am ready to work as hard as I can for the team."

The Jaguars indicated they would like Smoot to add some weight at the next level, he confirmed at Illinois he regularly played around the 265-270-pound range.