Most fans of the Dallas Cowboys love the move to trade away Mazi Smith and a first- and second-round pick for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. The Cowboys have established themselves as a home for dominant run stoppers thanks to Williams and Kenny Clark, with six Pro Bowl selections between the two big guys up front.
Smith was never the first-round pick that the Cowboys had hoped for. He never stood out to make a difference, and it was time for him to find a new home. But to give Smith some grace, he's had to deal with numerous coaching changes since his Michigan days, which set the tone for a slow decline in his career.
Smith has now seen seven different defensive coordinators since his time with Michigan in 2020. He's never had a consistent voice leading the way. It raises a point that maybe it's not entirely his fault.
Former Cowboys DT Mazi Smith has had seven defensive coordinators since his Michigan days
In a perfect world, a young player entering the NFL will have a consistent coach mentoring them. With coaches always moving around, that's a tough ask, but this script for Smith is unprecedented for someone trying to build a career.
Smith hasn't even finished his third NFL season yet, and he's about to have his fourth defensive coordinator in his career. Dan Quinn was the first coach in Smith's NFL career, but after an embarrassing collapse against the Packers, Quinn's time in Dallas was over.
Smith benefited from Mike Zimmer’s philosophy of stopping the run to create opportunities for the pass rush, producing his best numbers yet with 41 total tackles and four tackles for loss. He also started every game in 2024 under Zimmer.
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Matt Eberflus ended up being the last straw for the former Wolverine, but to be honest, nothing has worked this season on defense. Hopefully, that will change with Williams and Logan Wilson being the difference makers the Cowboys need.
Jets defensive coordinator Steve Wilks emphasizes physicality up front, which could ultimately benefit Smith. Either way, Wilks marks Smith’s seventh defensive coordinator since 2020. Smith deserves the most blame for his failed Dallas tenure, but he was put into a really suboptimal situation that included him being asked to lose weight as a rookie to play the three-technique position.
Cowboys fans will remember Smith as the first-rounder who laid an egg, but he never quite got the consistency guidance that he needed early in his career.