2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Mazi Smith

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Mazi Smith, 6-3/326 Defensive Tackle Michigan

Mazi Smith Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Tough run-stuffing nose tackle

Good lateral anchor

Hard to move at the point of attack

Holds his gap

Absorbs double teams

Very tough; plays hard

Disruptive run defender

Strong hands

Uses hands and feet at same time

Can get a push working upfield

Weaknesses:

Not an interior pass rusher

Lacks quickness

Lacks athleticism

Doesn’t have a role in the sub package

Two-down defender, at most

Summary: While Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo got all the attention on the Michigan defense in 2021, Smith was a good defender in his own right. He helped plug up interior rushing lanes and was tough to move at the point of attack. In 2021, Smith recorded 37 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss and four passes batted. As a senior, Smith racked up 49 tackles and one sack.

In the ground game, Smith is a tough defender who is very stout at the point of attack. When runs come downhill at him, he is able to anchor and hold his ground. He also shows the strength to shed and tackle. Smith pushes his way into the backfield to disrupt runs and resets the line of scrimmage. His lateral anchor was advanced for a college player, making him tough to move at the point of attack. Smith possesses a high level of strength that helps him take on double-team bump blocks and hold his ground when getting hit from the side. He is a very good run defender entering the NFL.



As a pass rusher, Smith has some ability to get a push into the backfield with his power, but after gaining some ground upfield, Smith struggles to finish the play by getting to the quarterback. He is limited from speed and athleticism perspectives to be a dangerous pass rusher in the NFL. As a pro, he probably will be rotated out of the game in the majority of sub package plays. If Smith had more pass-rush ability, he would be a definite first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Smith should fit any defense at the next level. He would be a great fit as a nose tackle or five-technique in a 3-4. In a 4-3, he could play nose tackle. Smith could be a second- or third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but he may have an outside shot of sneaking into the bottom of Round 1.



Player Comparison: Dontari Poe. Team sources said Poe was a comparison they saw for Smith, which makes sense. Both are heavy nose tackles who are tough against the run but don’t offer much interior pass rush.

2023 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2023 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M Adetomiwa Adebawore, DE, Northwestern Jordan Addison, WR, USC Will Anderson, DE, Alabama Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State Steve Avila, G, TCU Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland Micah Baskerville, LB, LSU Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU Brian Branch, S, Alabama Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson Chase Brown, RB, Illinois Sydney Brown, S, Illinois Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA Malik Cunningham, QB, Louisvile Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina Max Duggan, QB, TCU Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland Zach Evans, RB, Ole Miss Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Notre Dame Isaiah Foskey, DE, Notre Dame Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon Derick Hall, OLB, Auburn Jaren Hall, QB, BYU Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma Daiyan Henley, LB, Washington State Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU Broderick Jones, G, Georgia Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State Calijah Kancey, DT, Pittsburgh Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa Will Levis, QB, Kentucky Quan Martin, CB, Illinois Cody Mauch, G, North Dakota State Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame Will McDonald, DE, Iowa State Kenny McIntosh, RB, Georgia Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford Kendre Miller, RB, TCU Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss Cam Mitchell, CB, Northwestern Malachi Moore, S, Alabama Mike Morris, DE, Michigan Wanya Morris, OT, Oklahoma Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State Zion Nelson, OT, Miami B.J. Ojulari, OLB, LSU Demarvion Overshown, LB, Texas Owen Pappoe, LB, Auburn Jarrett Patterson, C, Notre Dame Clark Phillips, CB, Utah Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas Chris Rodriguez, RB, Kentucky Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan Nolan Smith, DE, Georgia Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota Tyler Steen, OT, Alabama Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee Joe Tippman, C, Wisconsin O'Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida Henry To'oTo'o, LB, Alabama Tuli Tuipulotu, DE, USC D.J. Turner, CB, Michigan Lukas Van Ness, DE, Iowa Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia Keion White, DE, Georgia Tech Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

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