The Dallas Cowboys chose defensive tackle Mazi Smith in the first-round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he proceeded to be one of the more disappointing rookie defenders across the league last season.
Smith, 6-foot-3 and 337 pounds, capped his rookie campaign with just 13 total tackles with one sack in 17 games, while making 13 starts.
One current NFL defensive coach suggests that the Cowboys “over-drafted” Smith last season, but suggests new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s scheme may be a better fit for his skill-set.
“Mike Zimmer’s new scheme will be better suited for him,” the coach told Heavy, on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about a player on another team. “Because he’s best at playing blocks, rather than just getting upfield in the type of scheme they ran last season.”
Despite a lack of production in his first season, there is some optimism that Smith could prove to be a vital piece of the Cowboys’ front seven.
Mazi Smith Named Dallas Cowboys’ ‘X-Factor’ for 2024 season
Pro Football Focus’ Jim Wyman and Dalton Wasserman put together a list of each team’s X-factor for the upcoming 2024 season, with Smith representing the Cowboys.
“Mazi Smith was selected in the first round of the 2023 draft to improve his team’s run defense,” Wyman and Wasserman write for PFF. “He struggled to find his footing in his rookie year, posting a meager 31.8 run-defense grade. Dallas lost multiple pieces in its front seven, which puts a greater onus on Smith to perform on early downs in the run game.”
While it is entirely possible that Zimmer’s arrival and scheme will bring out the best in Smith, he is going to need to be significantly more productive and disruptive in his second season than he was as a rookie, or else it’s going to be difficult to shake off an early ‘bust’ label for the former first-round selection.
