Cowboys Called Out for ‘Underachieving’ $13 Million First Round PIck

If you have been following the Dallas Cowboys even somewhat closely over the last year, you know their interior defensive line has been a sieve. That problem begins with the failure of underachieving defensive tackle and former first round pick Mazi Smith.

Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder took it a step further and called Smith the Cowboys’ “Worst First Round Pick” in the last 5 years.

Smith was the No. 26 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft and signed a 4-year, $13.27 million rookie contract.

“(Offensive tackle) Tyler Guyton is threatening to take Smith’s spot here after struggling as a rookie,” Holder wrote on June 26. “However, the latter has had more time to get his feet wet in the NFL and still looks like a fish out of water. The Michigan product was drafted to help stop the run but has earned run-defense grades in the 30s from Pro Football Focus in his two seasons.”

Smith Could Be Shipped Out Via Trade

Smith seems like a prime candidate to be moved in 2025, so don’t be surprised to see his name pop up around the NFL trade deadline. The key is to find a team in desperate need of an interior run defender and before his value in a trade dips more than it already has.

“Former first-rounder Mazi Smith endured a particularly tough 2024 campaign,” PFF’s Mason Cameron wrote on May 9. “He posted an abysmal 34.7 PFF overall grade, marking his second consecutive season of earning a sub-48.0 grade. Although Dallas signed Solomon Thomas in free agency, that doesn’t profile as the answer to the Cowboys’ 30th-ranked run-defense grade (48.0).”

Smith’s PFF grade puts him among the worst defensive tackles in the NFL — 207th out of 219 eligible players at his position.

Smith Put No. 1 on The Athletic’s ‘Freaks’ List

Smith had NFL teams salivating after The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman put him at No. 1 on his annual college football “Freaks” list in 2022, saying the 6-foot-3, 337-pound University of Michigan star had a unique combination of power and agility “so rare, in fact, it’s hard to find the right superlative to begin with.”

In 2022, Smith was named All-Big Ten Conference after leading the Wolverines to the College Football Playoff semifinals with 49 tackles, 1.0 sack, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery.

NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein compared Smith to 2-time Pro Bowler Dontari Poe in his pre-draft evaluation. Zierlein also had Smith pegged as a player who some team would likely draft too early. That actually happened.

“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,” Zierlein wrote.

The Cowboys thought enough of Smith to make him the first defensive tackle they’ve taken in the first round since they selected 3-time Super Bowl champion Russell Maryland with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1991 NFL draft.

Smith, who has 2 seasons left on a 4-year, $13.2 million contract, only had 13 tackles and 1.0 sack as a rookie in 17 games with 3 starts, then had 41 tackles, 1.0 sack and 4 TFL in 2024 as he started all 17 games.

In 2 seasons, Smith only has 3 QB hits, no forced fumbles and no fumble recoveries.