Mazi Smith selected by Dallas Cowboys as No. 26 overall pick in NFL Draft

After four seasons with the Michigan football team, defensive tackle Mazi Smith is headed to the NFL. 

Selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft as the No. 26 pick, Smith was the first Wolverine selected in this year’s draft and looks to take his experience leading Michigan’s defense line at nose tackle to the next level. 

Hailing from Grand Rapids and East Kentwood High School, Smith joined the Wolverines his freshman season ranked by ESPN as the No. 2 overall defensive tackle recruit in the nation and the No. 38 overall recruit. He worked his way through the depth chart, appearing in only five total games over his first two seasons at Michigan. 

But in his junior season, Smith burst onto the scene as a defensive centerpiece. He started all 14 games and recorded 37 tackles on the year. That ascent continued into his senior season, where he led all defensive linemen with 48 tackles after starting every game at nose tackle. 

Nestled in the center of the defensive line, Smith wasn’t a flashy playmaker. Instead, he held down the fort. Pressure in the pocket typically came from edge rushers, leaving Smith with just 2.5 tackles for a loss and 0.5 sacks on the year. Nonetheless, with his high-volume tackling and activity in the middle, Smith was a run stopper. He clogged opponents’ run games and led the Wolverines to top-10 rushing defenses in both his junior and senior seasons.

Smith led by example throughout his senior season as a team captain, but his final year at Michigan was marred by a weapon charge that came to light in December, stemming from an October traffic stop. Smith was sentenced to 12 months probation in January under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act for a misdemeanor weapons charge. Through it all, Smith remained committed to impacting the team positively and worked to move past the charge with his team’s support.  

Now, Smith is looking past his days at Michigan as well. After four years that saw him work his way from a highly-touted recruit to a team captain and defensive stalwart, Smith hopes to show the Cowboys team that his success with the Wolverines can translate into success at the game’s highest level.