Mazi Smith in first round of NFL.com Mock Draft

Mazi Smith entered the 2022 season the "biggest freak" in college football according to Bruce Feldman. His combo of size, power, and athleticism made him one of the best defensive tackles in the nation.

With the NFL Draft process now in full swing after the NFL Draft Combine in Indianapolis and Pro Days, mock draft experts are putting out their most detailed mocks yet.

Smith made noise at the NFL Draft Combine after posting the most bench press reps. We posted recently that Smith's name was being brought up in scouting circles, and that his stock was rising from 2nd round to potential first round pick.

Daniel Jeremiah is the lead draft analyst for NFL.com. In his recent mock draft, he has the Dallas Cowboys selecting Mazi Smith with the 26th overall pick.

According to Jeremiah, "Smith has generated a lot of buzz in personnel circles for his combination of athleticism and power. His best football is ahead of him and he’d fill a need in Dallas."

There has been some debate about Mazi's fit in defensive scheme, whether he can be a 3-4 nose or a DT in a 4-man front. More and more scouts believe Smith can fit in either scheme.

NFL analyst Lance Zierlein had this to say in his scouting report. "Dontari Poe might be the physical and athletic player comparison for Smith, but more consistency from Smith is needed before he finds the Pro Bowl, as Poe did twice in his career. Smith’s blend of size and quickness is rare. He can punch and control a base block with relative ease. However, he struggles to match the initial movement of move blockers, which diminishes his effectiveness. He has space-eating potential but needs to become more consistent at taking on double teams and securing his gap. Smith’s size and testing could give his draft slotting some juice but he’s more of a Day 2 talent with exciting upside than a plug-and-play starter."

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