Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy shares first impressions of first-rounder Mazi Smith at OTAs

As Mike McCarthy was recovering from a back procedure during the Cowboys’ rookie minicamp, OTAs have been the first opportunity for the Dallas skipper to check out first-round draft pick Mazi Smith in action.

The 6-foot-3, 337-pound defensive tackle is everything McCarthy thought he’d be so far, but admitted that OTAs aren’t where Smith will really shine.

“No doubt (meeting expectations),” McCarthy said on Thursday. “For a guy like Mazi, you can’t wait to see him in pads. He’s ready to show everybody.

“We said this during the evaluation process, we feel there’s a lot more pass rush potential than he showed in his college career. He’s off to a really good start.”

The NFL’s OTAs are non-contact practices with no pads – not exactly a defensive lineman’s dream.

Cowboys see more pass-rushing in Smith’s future

The Cowboys’ move to draft Mazi Smith in the first round this year surprised many. However, according to executive vice president Stephen Jones, his versatility on the defensive line pushed him to the top of the pack.

“People want to pigeonhole him as a nose tackle,” Jones said of the Michigan star. “That would be the only thing people can say when you take a nose tackle in the first round, but we believe there’s more to him than just the nose.

“That’s what he was asked to do at Michigan and he played his technique amazingly, but rarely was he going straight uphill and pushing upfield vertically on the snap. Most of the time he was playing the read on the run. When we did see it, we really liked it. He can get an edge and be disruptive.”

During his career at Michigan, Smith notched 89 tackles, 86 of which came during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He was ranked in the top 15 amongst college defensive tackles last season for his run defense.

Selected No. 26 overall, Smith is now getting $13.2 million over the next four seasons to develop into a pass-rushing tackle for Dallas.

With the Wolverines, Smith notched just one sack in three seasons and it came in his final year. But get him lined up next to Micah Parsons, and that number is destined to go up. Parsons is already a big fan of the former Wolverine.

Parsons reportedly texted Dan Quinn on the morning of the draft: “Michigan DT.” His coordinator responded back: “I’m all about that life!!!!!!”