The Green Bay Packers have suffered a brutal string of injuries at the heart of the defensive line.
Consequently, the team could look to add some faces to the unit that currently only has four players on the active roster.
It appears that one name on the Packers’ radar is former Dallas Cowboys first round pick Mazi Smith, whom the team worked out on Monday.
“The Packers hosted DT Mazi Smith for a tryout, per the wire. He was a Cowboys first-round pick in 2023. Also has played for the Jets and Dolphins.” The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman posted on X on Monday afternoon.
The Packers Have Multiple Injuries at Nose Tackle
Starting nose tackle Javon Hargrave is out for the season with an Achilles tear suffered in Week 5’s dominating win against the Chicago Bears in garbage time, whilst backup NT Jonathan Ford was also ruled out of Week 6 with a calf injury.
Anthony Campbell, who has deputized at the position twice this season, has also been dealing with an ankle injury, although he was cleared to play this past weekend, where he logged 32 snaps on defense.
That leaves only rookie Chris McClellan as a fully healthy option at the position, and even that is tenuous given that the 2026 third round pick’s favored position is at defensive tackle as a 3 technique, rather than as 1 or 0 technique pivot on the defensive line.
Mazi Smith Has Struggled Since Entering the NFL
So Mazi Smith seems like a reasonable name to add given the circumstances. The 6’3, 337 lb behemoth was once listed as the no. 1 ranked “freak” in The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman’s annual piece back in 2022, before being taken with the 26th overall pick in 2023 by Dallas.
After two sub-par seasons that saw inconsistent play and a fluctuation in weight by as much as 30-40 lbs, Smith was included as part of the trade that saw Quinnen Williams join the Cowboys from the Jets.
The former Michigan man played 5 games with no starts in 2025 and was ultimately released on Aug. 30 during final cuts this year, before being signed to the Miami Dolphins‘ practice squad, from which he was later released on Oct. 13.
Smith reads as a reclamation project for whomever wants to try. For the Packers, in needing depth at nose tackle and getting a potentially freakishly-high upside, there is little to lose in signing the 25-year old to a deal, if his workout went well.
Packers Eyeing Move For Former 1st Round Nose Tackle