Dallas Cowboys select Mazi Smith in first round of 2023 NFL Draft
Former Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith was a stalwart along the defensive line for the Wolverines during back-to-back College Football Playoff runs in 2021 and 2022. And Smith gets a chance to continue that success in the NFL after being selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the 26th pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
A freaky athletic interior lineman with adequate production during his college career — 88 total tackles and six sacks — the biggest issue for Smith in the draft process will be his arrest in October 2022 on felony firearm charges. Smith eventually plead the charges down to a misdemeanor count and thus avoided any jail time.
Clearly, whatever concerns the arrest might’ve piqued were assuaged in the pre-draft process as TEAM took a bet on Smith.
Smith was a highly-touted prospect out of west Michigan in the Class of 2019. Rated four stars in the On3 Industry Ranking, he was the No. 100 prospect in the class and one of the Top 5 prospects in Michigan. He was the No. 14 defensive lineman in his class.
What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Smith
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein sees a starting-caliber player who will struggle to stay on the field in pass rush situations.
“Dontari Poe might be the physical and athletic player comparison for Smith, but more consistency from Smith is needed before he finds the Pro Bowl, as Poe did twice in his career,” Zierlein said. “Smith’s blend of size and quickness is rare. He can punch and control a base block with relative ease. However, he struggles to match the initial movement of move blockers, which diminishes his effectiveness. He has space-eating potential but needs to become more consistent at taking on double teams and securing his gap. Smith’s size and testing could give his draft slotting some juice but he’s more of a Day 2 talent with exciting upside than a plug-and-play starter.”
A lot of what Zierlein likes about Smith is tied into his elite athleticism at 6-foot-3, 323 pounds. His ability to move into gaps and attack guards from angles, as well as work in twists and stunts up front, are all pluses.
However, there are some detractions that Zierlein noted. For one, Smith doesn’t have standout production with sacks or tackles for loss and he can get moved off his anchor when facing a double team more often than is preferable. Those, tagged with some struggles to keep his level of play high while facing tempo, have Zierlein giving Smith a Day 2 grade, overall.