Mazi Smith

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Mazi Smith
Mazi Smith U.S. Army Soldiers take part in the USAA Salute to Service Boot Camp (12) (cropped).jpg
Smith with the Dallas Cowboys in 2025
No. 98 – New York Jets
Position Defensive tackle
Roster statusActive
Personal information
Born (2001-06-16) June 16, 2001 (age 24)
Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight337 lb (153 kg)
Career information
High school East Kentwood (Kentwood, Michigan)
College Michigan (2019–2022)
NFL draft 2023: 1st round, 26th overall pick
Career history
Awards and highlights
Career NFL statistics as of Week 9, 2025
Tackles 57
Sacks 2.0
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Mazi Smith (born June 16, 2001) is an American professional football defensive tackle for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Contents

Early life

Smith was born on June 16, 2001. He attended East Kentwood High School in Kentwood, Michigan. He was rated by ESPN as the No. 38 recruit in the Class of 2019 and the year's second best defensive tackle. [1] He is of Nigerian descent. [2]

College career

During the 2021 season, Smith started all 14 games for Michigan. He had 37 tackles, two tackles-for-loss, four pass breakups, and four quarterback hurries. [1]

In August 2022, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic rated Smith as the top-ranked player on his annual list of college football "freaks". [3] Feldman cited Smith's size (over 325 pounds), speed (shuttle time of 4.41 seconds and three-cone drill time of 6.94 seconds), and his "rare power and agility". Feldman called Smith "so rare, in fact, it's hard to find the right superlative to begin with." [4] He was also credited with being the vocal leader of Michigan's 2022 defense. [5] At the end of the season, he was selected as a first-team player on the 2022 All-Big Ten Conference football team. [6]

On October 7, 2022, Smith was stopped for speeding by police in Ann Arbor and was arrested after a gun was found in his possession without a concealed pistol license (CPL). Two months after his arrest, he was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, a felony. That count was dismissed on December 8, 2022, during a hearing as part of his guilty plea on the lesser charge of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle. [7]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 3 in
(1.91 m)		323 lb
(147 kg)		33+3⁄4 in
(0.86 m)		9+3⁄4 in
(0.25 m)		29.5 in
(0.75 m)		8 ft 11 in
(2.72 m)		34 reps
Sources: [8] [9]

Dallas Cowboys

Smith was selected in the first round (26th overall) of the 2023 NFL draft, which was the first defensive tackle taken by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round since Russell Maryland in 1991. [10]

New York Jets

On November 4, 2025, the Cowboys traded Smith along with a 2026 second round pick and a conditional 2027 first round pick (higher of theirs or the Green Bay Packers) to the New York Jets in exchange for defensive tackle, Quinnen Williams. [11] [12]

NFL career statistics

Legend
BoldCareer high
YearTeamGamesTacklesInterceptionsFumbles
GPGSCombSoloAstSckTFLSFTYPDIntYdsAvgLngTDFFFR
2023 DAL 16313941.03000000000
2024 DAL 17174122191.04000000000
2025 DAL 503030.00000000000
Career 39205731262.0700000.00000

Personal life

Smith's cousin T. J. Duckett played running back in the NFL, and his second cousin was former NBA Analyst Sekou Smith. [13]

References

  1. 1 2 "Mazi Smith". Michigan Wolverines Athletics. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  2. ↑ Murphy, Bryan (October 22, 2023). "Why NFL players are wearing flags on their helmets to promote 'International Diversity' during Week 7-8 games". Sporting News Canada. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  3. ↑ Feldman, Bruce (August 10, 2022). "College football Freaks List 2022: Bruce Feldman's rankings, with Michigan's Mazi Smith at No. 1". The Athletic . Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  4. ↑ McMann, Aaron (August 10, 2022). "Michigan's Mazi Smith tops college football 'freaks' list". Mlive.com . Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  5. ↑ Chengelis, Angelique S. (August 16, 2022). "A 'freak' on the field, Michigan football's Mazi Smith proving to be much more than that". The Detroit News. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  6. ↑ Hutchinson, Derick (November 29, 2022). "13 Michigan football players earn All-Big Ten defensive, special teams honors". WDIV. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  7. ↑ Anderson, Elisha (December 8, 2022). "Michigan football's Mazi Smith pleads guilty to lesser weapon charge; sentencing on Dec. 29". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  8. ↑ Reuter, Chad; Zierlein, Lance. "Mazi Smith Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  9. ↑ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Mazi Smith College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  10. ↑ Walker, Patrik (April 27, 2023). "Mazi Smith to Cowboys as 1st-Round Pick". DallasCowboys.com. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Cowboys finalize trade for DT Quinnen Williams". DallasCowboys.com. November 4, 2025. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  12. ↑ Allen, Eric (November 4, 2025). "Jets-Cowboys Trade | Jets Acquire '27 First & '26 Second-Round Pick & DL Mazi Smith for DL Quinnen Williams". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  13. ↑ Nelsen, Chris (March 23, 2018). "Michigan football: Four-star Mazi Smith taking unofficial visit". Freep.com. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
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