Mazi Smith

Mazi Smith (born June 16, 2001) is an American professional football defensive tackle. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft. He has also played for the New York Jets.

Early life Smith was born on June 16, 2001. He attended East Kentwood High School in Kentwood, Michigan. He was rated by ESPN as the No. 38 recruit in the Class of 2019 and the year's second best defensive tackle. He is of Nigerian descent.

College career During the 2021 season, Smith started all 14 games for Michigan. He had 37 tackles, two tackles-for-loss, four pass breakups, and four quarterback hurries. Feldman cited Smith's size (over 325 pounds), speed (shuttle time of 4.41 seconds and three-cone drill time of 6.94 seconds), and his "rare power and agility". Feldman called Smith "so rare, in fact, it's hard to find the right superlative to begin with." He was also credited with being the vocal leader of Michigan's 2022 defense. At the end of the season, he was selected as a first-team player on the 2022 All-Big Ten Conference football team.

On October 7, 2022, Smith was stopped for speeding by police in Ann Arbor and was arrested after a gun was found in his possession without a concealed pistol license (CPL). Two months after his arrest, he was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, a felony. That count was dismissed on December 8, 2022, during a hearing as part of his guilty plea on the lesser charge of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle.

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys Smith was selected in the first round (26th overall) of the 2023 NFL draft, which was the first defensive tackle taken by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round since Russell Maryland in 1991. He was acquired to be a plug-and-play option at nose tackle and to contribute to improve the team's rushing defense. As a rookie, it was reported that he was asked to cut his weight down under 300 pounds to alternate between the 1-technique and 3-technique positions. He appeared in all 17 games with 3 starts and played only 304 snaps, while registering 15 tackles (2 for loss), one sack and 5 quarterback pressures. In the season opener against the New York Giants, he had 2 tackles (one for loss) and one quarterback pressure, contributing to a 40-0 victory. In Week 10 against the New York Giants, he had 3 tackles (one for loss) and one quarterback pressure.

In 2024, the Cowboys hired defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, to replace Dan Quinn who left to become the head coach of the Washington Commanders. Smith was allowed to return to a weight that felt comfortable to him, in order to play primarily at the 1-technique position. He started all 17 games, posting a career-high 44 tackles (4 for loss), one sack and 4 quarterback pressures. In Week 4 against the New York Giants, he had 4 tackles (one for loss) and one quarterback pressure. In Week 11 against the Houston Texans, he made a career-high 5 tackles.

In 2025, the Cowboys hired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. Smith was asked once again to lose weight to be able to play multiple positions along the defensive line. He wound up losing playing time to Kenny Clark, Solomon Thomas and rookie Jay Toia. He appeared in 5 games as a backup, had 3 tackles and was declared inactive in 3 contests.

During his time with the Cowboys, Smith failed to produce relative to his first-round billing, often struggled and underperformed on the field. He also labored with significant weight changes throughout three seasons, both losing and gaining 30–40 pounds under changing defensive coordinators and defensive schemes. He is considered one of the biggest draft busts in franchise history.

New York Jets On November 4, 2025, the Cowboys traded Smith along with a 2026 second round pick (#44-Derrick Moore) and a conditional 2027 first round pick (higher of theirs or the Green Bay Packers) to the New York Jets in exchange for defensive tackle, Quinnen Williams. In retrospect, Smith was not an important piece of the trade, failing to become part of a weak defensive line rotation. He appeared in only 3 games (54 snaps) as a backup, while making 3 tackles.

On April 29, 2026, the Jets declined the fifth-year option on Smith's contract, making him a free agent after the 2026 season.

NFL career statistics Legend Bold Career high

Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles GP GS Comb Solo Ast Sck TFL SFTY PD Int Yds Avg Lng TD FF FR 2023 DAL 16 3 13 9 4 1.0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2024 DAL 17 17 41 22 19 1.0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2025 DAL 5 0 3 0 3 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Career 39 20 57 31 26 2.0 7 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0

Personal life Smith's cousin T. J. Duckett played running back in the NFL, and his second cousin was NBA Analyst Sekou Smith.