The 6-foot-3, 323-pound defensive tackle out of Michigan will look to bolster a Cowboys defense that at times struggled against the run last season.
FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys stood pat and went defense with its pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Cowboys on Thursday chose Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith with the No. 26 pick, adding more depth to a defense that struggled against the run at times during the 2022 season.
Measuring at 6-foot-3 and 323 pounds, Smith started 14 games for the Wolverines in 2022 and was a first-team All-Big Ten pick with 48 tackles — 2.5 of them for a loss.
Draft analysts at NFL.com described Smith as a “rare combination of size and athleticism,” with a strong ability to “slide, swim and seize the gap.”
While Smith will bring size and athleticism to the Cowboys defensive interior for the running game, NFL.com says the 21-year-old’s weakness appears in the passing game. Smith hasn’t been known to make many plays behind the line of scrimmage.
Smith stayed in his home state for college. He was born in Grand Rapids, and went to high school at East Kentwood High School in Kentwood. He arrived in Michigan as an ESPN top 50 recruit in 2019.
Smith did have a run-in with the law during his time at Michigan.
In October 2022, Smith was arrested by Ann Arbor police after he was stopped for speeding. Police said he was charged with possessing a concealed weapon without a valid license.
He later pleaded guilty to a lesser misdemeanor weapons charge and was sentenced to probation. The Detroit Free Press reported that the guilty plea allowed Smith to avoid a criminal record.
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