Mazi Smith NFL Draft Overview
Position: Defensive Tackle
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 323 pounds
School: Michigan
Mazi Smith 2023 NFL Draft Profile
Mazi Smith has spent his entire collegiate career as a Michigan Wolverine, becoming a locker room leader and defensive standout his last two seasons. After two consecutive All-Big Ten selections, Smith has declared for the 2023 NFL Draft in April.
Smith, a native of the state, came to Michigan as a four-star recruit out of high school. The 21-year-old defensive tackle only saw limited action his first two seasons with the Wolverines. However, Smith came quickly onto the scene in 2021 as a redshirt junior clocking 37 tackles (2.5 for loss) and four pass breakups, which earned him All-Big Ten honorable mention. As a senior, Smith earned first-team All-Big Ten with 48 tackles (2.5 for loss), a forced fumble, and half a sack.
Strengths
- Uncommon combination of power and size.
- Has the strength to drive blockers into the backfield.
- Good technique to move off blocks with rips, clubs, and quick spatial movement.
- Natural ability to slide laterally across the line and find the runner.
- Deceptively quick in pursuit.
Weaknesses
- Almost no pass rush tools outside of a bull rush.
- Short arm length leads to some difficulty getting through blocks and stonewalls at the line.
- Ineffective in third-down pass rush scenarios.
- Can be late off of the snap.
NFL Comparison: D.J. Reader
Teams With Need at Position: Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints
Projection: Second Round Pick
Bottom Line on Mazi Smith
Mazi Smith has rightfully garnered the reputation of a top-tier run defender and team leader. A locker room favorite, and voted the team’s Defensive Player of the Year, Smith possesses a rare mix of speed and power that is immediately noticeable on film. He can quickly pinpoint the ball through blocks and has a swift lateral movement, allowing Smith to quickly find and attack the runner. He often played the nose tackle position (0/1 technique) at Michigan and can anchor to take on multiple blocks. His power and ability to penetrate at the point of attack demands double teams.
The quickness he shows in run pursuit pops off the screen. Often nose tackles are seen as “trashcans full of dirt”—big, immovable objects only meant to clog space. Smith does far more than this; his power and speed work remarkably well together in the run game. Football scouts far and wide have been impressed by the rarity in Smith’s size, speed, and strength combination. He can use his strong hands and core to power blockers backward, creating disruptive interior pressure. However, this is essentially the limit of Smith’s pass rush capabilities. He does not have the finishing capabilities to get the QB down after creating pressure. Smith is often thwarted or ineffective outside of his bull rush strategy. The traits to evolve into a capable pass rusher are there, but his immediate contributions at the professional level will be in the run game.
Mazi Smith projects best as a two-down, run-stopping nose tackle at the NFL level. Teams entering the NFL draft needing a space-eater who can pursue the ball carrier should be taking a hard look at Smith late in the first round or early in the second. Smith’s ability to put pressure into the quarterback’s lap can possibly be developed into a true pass rush threat. Teams will need to be patient, though, in attempting to add pass rush to Smith’s natural abilities at stopping the run. For NFL teams with an established interior pass rush, Smith could be the defensive line addition to make a unit truly disruptive.
Main Photo: Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK
