After being drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third-round of the 2017 draft, Dawaune Smoot has struggled to find his footing as a player, but he’s not letting it stress him heading into his third year. The young edge rusher told the Florida Times-Union that he won’t let the past break his focus as the Jags are currently in organized team activities, which is a crucial time to focus on the fundamentals before things get real.

“I’m not feeling pressure at all, honestly,” said Smoot. “I’m trying to be perfect with everything leading up to the season. It’s definitely all about technique right now. I can’t change what’s happened in the past. I’m just trying to staying focused on what I need to do now.”

Over the course of his three seasons on the team, Smoot has only managed to play in 24 career games (no starts), while accumulating just 20 tackles and no sacks. Clearly, those figures are going to have to change sooner than later.

In an effort to help him find his niche, Smoot revealed that the staff has been giving him looks inside during OTAs after putting on 16 pounds, which bulked him up from 270 pounds to 286. And though he hasn’t played the position before, it appears he’s open to the move as it could be one that prolongs his time in Jacksonville.

“They’re asking me to play inside on third downs,” Smoot said. “We have to be able to learn every position on the line no matter what. I have not played inside since I’ve been here. It’s a little bit of a difference because everything is speeded up and you have to be quick and decisive with your hands. It’s all about getting more pressure on the quarterback. I’m just focused on me.”

With Calais Campbell getting older and his salary eating a good chunk of the Jags’ salary cap, the team has been looking for options to take the reigns from the veteran. Last season, that was Taven Bryan, who proved to be a better interior player than defensive end.

Now, it appears the next experiment will be on Smoot to maybe succeed the veteran, who has been dominant regardless as to where he lines up. If it pans out, it could lead to a huge turn around for Smoot, who many are beginning to question as a high draft selection.

Listen to the latest from the Jags Wire team by checking out the Jags Den Podcast. Subscribe on Apple’s iTunes podcasts or Stitcher Radio.