When it was announced that Mazi Smith was being shipped off to the New York Jets in last year's Quinnen Williams trade, Dallas Cowboys fans were elated. Ever since Dallas drafted him in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Smith has been a major disappointment at both stops.
The 24-year-old was expected to be a plug-and-play nose tackle, so despite his ability to stay healthy in his first two seasons, he was never productive. He's been one of the worst run defenders in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus, while his frame fluctuated because of the defensive coordinator changes that Dallas made during his tenure.
None of the traits that made Smith an All-Big Ten defensive tackle in 2022 translated to the NFL, and now his playing future looks to be in jeopardy. Bleacher Report's Moe Moton labeled him as a player the Jets could cut before the season starts, and no Cowboys fan can say they didn't see this coming.
"Just a few years ago, the Dallas Cowboys selected Mazi Smith with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2023 draft," Moton wrote. "Before the 2025 trade deadline, they sent him to the New York Jets in the Quinnen Williams deal. After the trade, Smith only played 54 defensive snaps in three games. The Jets signed David Onyemata, traded for T'Vondre Sweat and drafted Darrell Jackson Jr. in the fourth round, pushing the former Cowboy further to the back of the depth chart."
Mazi Smith's future with the New York Jets could be in serious jeopardy
You know it's bad when you can't even carve out a role with the Jets of all teams. This team won three games last year and is one of the most incompetent franchises in sports. If they don't think you're good enough, odds are you probably aren't good enough to play in the NFL, which Smith is learning.
Moton noted that part of the reason for the Michigan product is Gang Green's crowded depth chart at nose tackle. They signed David Onyemata, acquired T'Vondre Sweat in exchange for Jermaine Johnson, and drafted Florida State's Darrell Jackson Jr. in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
And the worst part? He only played 54 defensive snaps across three games with the Jets. He was traded at the deadline, on paper he should've had every opportunity to see the field for one of the NFL's worst defenses, but even Aaron Glenn is aware that turning his career around might be a lost cause when they now have younger, better, and higher-upside talents taking over their depth chart.
There's a reason Smith is referred to as one of the worst first-round picks in franchise history. He was a throw-in in the Quinnen trade, and the worse his career goes, the better that trade ages. So if and when he gets cut, Cowboys fans will be laughing since they know this story really well.
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