4 Cowboys who are primed for breakout seasons in 2024

2. NT Mazi Smith

Unlike Overshown, Smith was healthy for much of last season. However, in his limited time on the field he did not perform particularly well. As the Cowboys' first-round pick, Smith never emerged from the third-string defensive tackle role.

In 2024, Dallas will be losing a lot of depth up front, with the departures of tackles Jonathan Hankins and Neville Gallimore, as well as two defensive ends in Dante Fowler and Dorance Armstrong. By default, Smith immediately jumps to one of the starting defensive tackle spots and will be heavily counted on, especially when it comes to stopping the run.

Smith brings brute strength and a punishing mindset to Mike Zimmer's defense. He's a gap-eater against the run and he'll need to come up big in his projected sizable role. Getting back to his Michigan playing weight could pay monstrous dividends for Smith and the Cowboys defense as a unit.