A 6-4 defenseman with smooth skating and offensive creativity, Smith was ranked as the third-best defenseman in the 2025 NHL Draft. Due to a massive run on centers at the top of the opening round, Smith landed with the Blue Jackets at the 14th overall pick following a 54-point season for the Tri-City Americans in the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2024-25. Smith will join a super-talented team at Penn State, a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) club, for the 2025-26 season.

Selected 14th overall, Jackson Smith is now a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

If Jackson Smith isn’t the number one eligible defenceman from the WHL, he’s got an excellent case to be it. Jackson Smith possesses many of the things that people look for in a “modern” NHL defenseman. He’s got exceptional four-way mobility, and he uses it to the maximum extent. Smith uses agility, balance, and deceptive footwork to push the puck up ice, and his smooth, powerful edges to close gaps early in rushes. Earlier in the year, he was prone to overthinking and overhandling the puck, but recently he’s cleaned that up. If you’re looking for a rush defender, who can move the puck with his feet and create with an elite skill package, Smith may be your man.-

Final Rankings – Jackson Smith has all the physical tools needed to thrive as an NHL defenseman. He isn’t afraid to lay the body, and his explosive skating enables him to be a suffocating rush defender and dynamic transition player. With a little refinement and some improved processing, the sky’s the limit.—