Michigan football DT Mazi Smith enters 2023 NFL Draft
Michigan football senior defensive tackle Mazi Smith has officially declared for the 2023 NFL Draft, he announced on social media. He had another season of eligibility remaining, but is taking his talents to the professional level. Adam Schefter of ESPN was first on the news.
Smith, a former four-star recruit and top-100 prospect (On3 Consensus), was a captain this season at Michigan and one of the stalwarts of the defense. He started all 14 games for the Wolverines, finishing with 48 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and half a sack. During his Michigan career, he played in 35 career games.
Pro Football Focus has Smith as the No. 71 prospect in its top-100 rankings, which would put him in the range to be selected in the 2nd-3rd round. This summer, he was named to The Athletic’s “Freaks List,” curated by Bruce Feldman to point out the best athletes in college football.
“His former teammate, Aidan Hutchinson, almost was our top guy in 2021, but this year a Wolverine is the No. 1 Freak in college football,” Feldman wrote in August. “The 6-foot-3, 337-pound senior has rare power and agility. So rare, in fact, it’s hard to find the right superlative to begin with. But let’s start with this: Smith does 22 reps on the bench press, but that’s with 325 (not 225). He close-grip benched 550 pounds. He vertical-jumps 33 inches. He broad-jumped 9-4 1/2. Smith, who had 37 tackles last season, has clocked a 4.41 shuttle time, which would’ve tied the best by any defensive tackle at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, and it would’ve been better than any defensive tackle weighing 310 pounds or more in the past decade. His 6.95 3-cone time would’ve been by far the fastest among defensive tackles in Indianapolis. The fastest was 7.33. Smith’s 60-yard shuttle time is 11.90.”
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Smith’s 2022 season also included a traffic stop that led to a felony concealed weapons charge in October for driving with a handgun without a concealed carry permit. The charges were pleaded down to a misdemeanor after he plead guilty to an added count of possession of a loaded firearm in or upon a motor vehicle.” He was not suspended by Michigan and was in the process of completing a CPL class at the time of his stop.
“I told coach everything from the get-go, just like I told the police officer the truth from the get-go,” Smith said, noting he had already completed his 8-hour training class to carry. “Honesty is the best policy, and that’s what I was.
“I had my certificate, and I meant to turn it in a couple of days before I got pulled over, but I had to reschedule for Wednesday of the week after. So, I was like four days away from turning in my paper.”
The deadline for Michigan prospects to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft is set for Jan. 16.
