Mazi Smith, a first-round pick for the Dallas Cowboys, has become one of the most talked-about draft choices since Taco Charlton. Smith was praised as one of the best athletes in college football, even making Bruce Feldman’s Freak List in 2022.
Ben Herbert, a longtime strength coach at Michigan, said, “Mazi’s strength is incredible. He’s the strongest defensive lineman I’ve seen in 25 years.” Many believed he would be a game-changer for the Cowboys.
However, Smith hasn’t performed as expected in the NFL. According to NFL Pro, he hasn’t recorded a single pressure in his 80 pass rush attempts this season. This makes him the only defensive tackle who hasn’t managed to create pressure on at least 50 attempts.
Smith is in unusual company; since 2018, only 16 defensive tackles have gone without a pressure through Week 7 while attempting at least 50 pass rushes. That’s not the kind of record a young player wants to have.
Using Pro Football Focus stats, Smith has two pressures this season, which ranks him 107th among interior defensive linemen who play at least 20% of pass rush snaps.
Mazi Smith 👀 pic.twitter.com/K4bqjuaMa9
— Jess Nevarez (@JessNevarez_) September 27, 2024
While Smith wasn’t expected to be a star pass rusher like Aaron Donald or Chris Jones, he was drafted to be a strong run defender. Will McClay, the Cowboys’ VP of Player Personnel, mentioned he had potential as a pass rusher too. Unfortunately, Smith has struggled in run defense as well, earning a low grade of 29.9 from PFF. His teammate Linval Joseph has a slightly better grade of 30.1.
Despite these struggles, Smith has shown flashes of his talent. In a recent game against the New York Giants, he had his best performance yet, overpowering opponents.
Fans hoped to see more of that kind of play when the Cowboys selected him. There’s still time for Smith to improve; more than half the season remains. While he hasn’t looked great lately, the bye week might give him a chance to bounce back.
For now, many fans are left wondering what happened to the Cowboys’ promising first-round pick.
