Back during the 2023 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys made one of their worst first-round picks in team history. With the 26th pick, they drafted Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith, who only last two-and-a-half seasons with in Dallas before they sent him to New York in the Quinnen Williams deal.
Not only did he enter the league with some serious off-field issues, the on-field impact was not there in the slightest. Instead of being a plug-and-play nose tackle, he struggled against the run, was even worse as a pass-rusher, and his frame fluctuated because of the multiple DCs he had as a Cowboy.
The 25-year-old played just 54 career snaps across three games with Gang Green and now finds himself on the roster bubble, Not making it in Dallas is one thing, but failing to stick around with a Jets team that won three games last year and is one of the NFL's most incompetent franchises says it all.
The Cowboys should regret drafting Mazi Smith over Matthew Bergeron
The draft miss itself stings, but looks a whole lot worse when you consider the alternative. The Cowboys were reportedly down to Smith and offensive guard Matthew Bergeron, and they settled on Mazi, while Bergeron was selected 12 picks later by the Atlanta Falcons.
In 51 possible games, Bergeron has made 49 career starts in Atlanta and has emerged as one of the best left tackles in the NFL, and he just cashed in as such. He just signed a massive four-year, $96 million contract extension with the Falcons that made him one of the league's highest-paid IOLs.
In fact, the $24 million AAV he received on his new deal made him the NFL's highest-paid offensive guard, tying him with the Cowboys' own Tyler Smith. And this is a player Bergeron could have joined forces with in the Lone Star State had Jerry Jones come to his senses and made a different decision.
So instead of one of their biggest busts in franchise history, the Cowboys could've had another bookend starter on the offensive line. Unfortunately, this likely would've come at the expense of Tyler Booker, but any player who would've been more productive than Mazi Smith would be worth the pick.
Hindsight isn't always 20/20 nowadays, but seeing Matthew Bergeron cash in with a massive second contract while Mazi Smith's NFL future is in serious doubt should be all the proof the Dallas Cowboys need that they stumbled upon one of the biggest missed opportunities on that fateful 2023 draft day.
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