Mazi Smith ‘Designed to play physical football’

FRISCO, Texas – The Cowboys have their player. A big guy.

Dallas used the No. 26 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft Thursday night to select University of Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith, a position of need to help their defense against the run that struggled earlier. one season, on what was otherwise one of the strongest defenses in the league.

So what exactly does Smith bring to the table? In fact, it can be summed up in one word.

“An animal,” said Smith. “A big animal. A big guy. A physical guy. I’ve never been afraid of contact… A guy who’s going to get in someone’s face. A guy who’s not going to make it easy.” At 6’3 and 323 pounds, it’s hard to disagree with Smith’s self-assessment.

There’s no shortage of physique (and personality) that Smith will inevitably bring to the table once he steps onto the field for the first time as a member of the Cowboys alongside the likes of Micah Parsons, who was beyond ecstatic on TV when the pick was announced. . Fortunately, the feeling was mutual from one Cowboys first-round defensive draft pick to another.

“Micah…He’s an animal,” Smith said. “I’m excited to have someone that happy for me to come and I’m happy to be there. Happy to help them and I hope he helps me too.”

Nearly every draft analyst has praised Smith’s natural athleticism combined with his power and speed off the inside defensive line, and with good reason. The Michigan native was a four-star recruit out of Kentwood High School outside of Grand Rapids, Michigan while racking up multiple All-State and Under Armor All-America awards as a senior.

As a two-year starter with the Wolverines, in 2022 Smith recorded 88 tackles, six of which were losses, along with four pass deflections, a forced fumble and a half-sack. That earned him first-team All-Big Ten honors, as well as team defensive player of the year honors, and now, a first-round selection by the Cowboys.

Smith’s most notable traits begin and end with his ability to simply overpower and overwhelm opposing offensive linemen to close out rushing runs, something the Cowboys lacked a season ago. When asked what allows him to be so successful when it comes to stopping the run, Smith again displayed his calm yet confident demeanor.

“I’m like 325 pounds,” Smith said dryly. “And then I have real power in my hands. I’ve been strong my whole life. My mom says I came out of the womb looking like I worked out… I figured out how to use (my strength) on the field, I figured out the right technique, I figured out the correct stance and started hitting blocks and making sure to push off them.”

The good news for Smith was that when he got the call from owner/general manager Jerry Jones, there was no confusion about what the Cowboys would assign him going forward in terms of excelling at his strengths … and working on his weaknesses.

“They told me first and foremost my job was to go in there and be that elite run defender that they need in the middle of that defense. And after that, my second job is to show everyone that I can work on the edge and that I can affect the quarterback. That’s something I need to work on and hone.”

Like most young players entering the NFL, it’s natural for them to look to find their own compositions from players who are already in the league and performing at a high level, and Smith is no exception, identifying Jeffery Simmons from the Titans and the Commanders’ Daron Payne as guys he watched to learn more, big, physical players who “play the game the right way,” Smith said.

But if there was one thing that stood out about Smith when he spoke to the media shortly after being drafted, it was this: there’s no denying his love of the game, and more specifically, the physicality of it.

“I love playing physical,” Smith said passionately. “Football has been taking care of me all my life. I’ve been playing since I was seven years old… So, I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t put on that helmet to hit someone. That’s just my nature [y está] in my blood.

“It’s something I feel like I was designed for and I’m forever grateful to God for this opportunity.”