Former Cowboys first-rounder out of Michigan now trying to revive his career with the Jets.
Mazi Smith is a defensive tackle for the New York Jets who arrived in November 2025 as part of the Quinnen Williams trade. A 2023 first-round pick by Dallas out of Michigan, he never settled in with the Cowboys and saw limited action after the deal. His standing in New York is uncertain.
Path to the league
Smith played at Michigan and was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He did not develop as Dallas hoped, which made him expendable when the Cowboys reshaped their defensive line.
2025 season
On November 4, 2025, the Cowboys traded Smith, a 2026 second-round pick and a conditional 2027 first-rounder to the Jets for Quinnen Williams, per Wikipedia. Smith appeared in just three games for New York and was a healthy scratch for six of nine, playing only 54 defensive snaps. In April 2026 the Jets declined his fifth-year option.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Mazi Smith
- ESPN: Mazi Smith player page
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
5 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | cowboys | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | cowboys | 17 | 41 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | cowboys | 17 | 13 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive Tackle
- Group
- defense
- College
- Michigan
- Hometown
- Grand Rapids, MI, USA
- Age
- 25
- Status
- active
