Gang Green Nation
The Jets recently acquired defensive tackle Mazi Smith via trade and he has already played in two games for the team. Today we break Smith down in detail.
The 24-year old Smith is listed at 6’3″ and 337 pounds and was a first round pick out of Michigan in 2023. He started three games as a rookie and every game in 2024 for the Cowboys, but he fell out of the rotation this year. In all, he had 57 tackles and two sacks in 39 games in Dallas.
Background
Smith was a four-star high school recruit who headed to Michigan in 2019, although he only had three tackles and a tackle for loss in seven games during his first two seasons.
In 2021, Smith became a full-time starter and was named as an honorable mention all-Big Ten selection. He started all 14 games and had 37 tackles and four pass breakups.
He ramped up his production in 2022 to earn all-Big Ten first team honors. He ended up with 48 tackles and half a sack.
Having announced that he was to enter the 2023 draft, Smith was widely projected to go on day two, but the Cowboys drafted him in the first round with the 26th overall pick.
As a rookie, Smith played in every game, starting three, and had 13 tackles and a sack. He was also credited with three tackles for loss and three quarterback hits.
Last season, he won a starting role and started all 17 games. He ended up with 41 tackles, a sack, four tackles for loss and three quarterback hits.
Ahead of the 2025 season, some were projecting Smith to break out. However, he got hurt in camp and was still playing in the second half of preseason games as he seemed to be in danger of not making the team. He eventually did, but was a healthy scratch in the opener.
By the time Smith was included in this month’s Quinnen Williams trade, he had only played in five games off the bench, recording just three tackles.
Since arriving in New York, he has played two games with the Jets in a reserve role.
Let’s move onto some more in-depth analysis of what Smith brings to the table as a player, based on extensive research and film study.
Measurables/Athleticism
Smith has good size and excellent length but his listed weight of 337 pounds doesn’t tell the full story.
In his rookie year, he was asked to try to slim down to below 300 pounds by Dan Quinn and reportedly got close to that target weight. However, in 2024, he was asked to add 20 pounds. Then, ahead of this season he was required to shed weight again and told the media he was around 312-315 pounds.
At the scouting combine, Smith showcased his immense strength with an impressive 34 bench press reps. However, due to an injury, he didn’t do anything else and then was unable to do a full workout at his...
