Mazi Smith leads all defensive linemen with 34 bench-press reps; How Mike Morris performed at NFL Combine
Michigan Wolverines football had two former players in the defensive line group at the 2023 NFL Combine Thursday. Defensive end Mike Morris ran the 40-yard dash, went through other testing and participated in on-field drills. Defensive tackle Mazi Smith, meanwhile, did measurements but held himself out of on-field work due to a hamstring tweak.
Smith did do the bench press Friday morning, though, and put up 34 reps to lead all defensive linemen (225 pounds). Edge rusher Lonnie Phelps of Kansas posted 31 reps to come in second. Only three others had 30 reps.
The combine bench press record is 49 reps, set by former Oregon State defensive tackle Stephen Paea in 2011. Eleven players have gone over 40 reps.
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• Michigan football at the NFL Combine, Thursday live blog: Mike Morris, Mazi Smith
Smith told NFL Network he has to “kill it” at Michigan’s March 17 pro day, which he’s planning on being a full participant at.
Before Thursday, Morris spoke with reporters and added to the anticipation of what Smith could do at the event.
“I think he’ll do amazing. Mazi was the No. 1 freak in college football,” Morris said of his Michigan teammate. “Y’all don’t see what I see. Mazi’s not a human being.”
Morris benched 22 times, which ranked 15 of 25 edge rushers.
The former Michigan EDGE had an underwhelming Thursday on the field. He ran a 4.95-second 40-yard dash (20th out of 21 defensive ends), with a 1.72-second 10-yard split (19th of 21). His 28.50″ vertical jump was 28th of 31 players at his position, and his 9’2″ broad jump slotted 29th out of the same amount.
While he went through drills, the NFL Network highlighted Morris’ strong 2022 season with Michigan. He led the team with 7.5 sacks and was named Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year.
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“Productive for the Wolverines. He was just a big-hearted whirling dervish who’s very difficult to block,” Rich Eisen said on the broadcast.
“Well, he’s huge,” analyst Daniel Jeremiah added. “They stand him up there on the edge at over 6-5, 275 pounds.
“There’s a tackle from Maryland, Jaelyn Duncan, who we’re going to talk a lot about — he’s going to test really well — and he went right through his pads.”
Morris slipped a few times in position drills. Jeremiah still had a positive comment about him, but not a glowing review.
“If you’re looking for a base end, somebody who can really just sit there, stack blocks and hold the point of attack, Mike Morris is going to be able to do that all day,” Jeremiah said.
Here are the measurements for both Morris and Smith:
| Prospect | Height | Weight | Arm Length | Hand Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Morris | 6-5 | 275 pounds | 33 1/2″ | 10″ |
| Mazi Smith | 6-3 | 323 pounds | 33 3/4″ | 9 3/4″ |
Schedule for Michigan players at the NFL Combine: Friday-Sunday
- March 3 (3 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET): DB (DJ Turner), PK/ST (Jake Moody, Brad Robbins)
- March 4 (1 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET): QB, WR (Ronnie Bell), TE (Luke Schoonmaker)
- March 5 (1 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET): OL (Ryan Hayes, Olusegun Oluwatimi), RB
