The writing was on the wall for defensive tackle Mazi Smith with the Dallas Cowboys before the 2025 season — he was about to be out the door — but the former 1st-round pick got a new start with the New York Jets.
Less than 1 year later, he’s looking for a new home.
“Jets are releasing defensive tackle Mazi Smith, who was included in last season’s trade with Dallas for Quinnen Williams,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on Saturday.
“BREAKING: The Jets are releasing DT Mazi Smith,” Preme Football wrote on its official X account. “The former 1st-round pick was acquired by New York last season as part of the blockbuster Quinnen Williams trade with Dallas. In 39 games, he has 57 tackles and 2 sacks.”
“Former First Round DT Mazi Smith being released by Jets,” Giants Coach Carb wrote on his official X account.
Smith’s 34.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2024 — his last complete season with the Cowboys — put him among the worst defensive tackles in the NFL at 207th out of 219 eligible players at his position.
Mazi Smith Big-Time Bust for Cowboys
The Cowboys traded for 2 different Pro Bowl defensive tackles in the last calendar year, with Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams — which speaks to how desperate they were at the position.
The reason things reached that point was also very clear — using a 1st-round pick on Smith.
Shipped off to the New York Jets at the 2025 NFL trade deadline in the deal that brought Williams to the Cowboys, Smith was at the top of a list of NFL players who could use a career “reboot” from Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski before mincamp in May.
“Mazi Smith’s potential is built upon an obvious contradiction,” Sobleski wrote. “The 6’3″, 323-pound defensive lineman is an elite athlete. At the same time, he’s a poor technician. One negates the other … it now falls on the Jets’ staff to ensure the nose tackle can realize some of his immense upside. At bare minimum, Smith can be an effective space-eater simply by firing off the ball with good pad level to take advantage of his brute strength and powerful hands. He doesn’t need to be a disruptive playmaker. New York now has significant talent found among its front seven. Smith’s concentration should be focused on playing low, doing the dirty work in the trenches and making life easier for everyone around him.”
The Jets declined the 5th year option on Smith’s contract ahead of the May 1 deadline.
Brutal Scouting Job by Cowboys in 2023
The Cowboys’ scouting department did a pretty awful job in 2023 in drafting Smith with the No. 26 overall pick.
In the next 20 picks alone, the Cowboys could have had players who would still likely be contributing starters — if not stars — in Dallas with New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (No. 29 overall), Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (No. 32 overall), Detroit Lions Pro Bowl tight end Sam LaPorta (No. 34 overall), and Detroit Lions Pro Bowl safety Brian Branch (No. 45 overall).
The biggest steal of the 2023 draft — and perhaps the best player in the entire draft — was way down the line with 2-time NFL All-Pro Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua in the 5th round.
Former Dallas Cowboys 1st-Round Pick Released by Jets