There is no denying that the Dallas Cowboys have high-end players at some of the most important positions on the field. One flaw in their roster building, though, is that their weaker positions are some of the weakest in all of football.
Defensive tackle and running back stick out like Tony Romo at an Eagles tailgate. That might sound crazy considering Osa Odighizuwa was one of the most disruptive DTs in the league last season. Unfortunately, his running mate Mazi Smith has not lived up to his first-round billing.
While everyone is rooting for Smith to turn a corner this year, it's hard not to circle him as Dallas' most likely "bust" this upcoming season.
Cowboys DT Mazi Smith desperately needs a strong 2025 season
It's not hyperbolic to say that Smith has been among the worst nose tackles in football since he entered the league.
Drafted to alleviate the Cowboys' woes against the run, Smith ranked 201st out of 2019 qualified interior defenders with a 35.9 run-defense grade last season, per PFF. It was a slight improvement on his 34.9 run-defense grade as a rookie.
The Michigan product didn't fare much better from a pure production standpoint. He ranked 31st with 17 defensive stops among interior defenders who played at least 200 run-defense snaps in 2024. He added four tackles for loss, three quarterback hits and a 6.0% run-stop percentage. Those numbers are not indicative of a starting nose tackle.
Read more: Cowboys set to workout Micah Parsons' former teammate at training camp
The Cowboys used a seventh-round pick in April on UCLA nose tackle Jay Toia, whose 335-pound frame will be hard to miss in Oxnard. While Smith will seemingly be given every chance to retain his starting role, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram believes Toia could come for Smith's job.
If Smith hits the field for his third season in the league with a similar approach to his first two, it could be Toia’s job to take," Harris wrote in May. "With his wide presence and proven run-stop ability, Toia has natural advantages despite being a seventh-round selection."
It's hard not to view 2025 as a make-or-break year for Smith with the Cowboys. You would struggle to name more than three first-round picks from the 2023 draft that have been more disappointing over their first two seasons than the former Wolverine.
Dallas doesn't need Smith to put it all together this season. Even adequate play would serve as an improvement. Time will tell if he can clear that bar, but it's hard to put much faith in that after watching how his first two seasons have unfolded.