Mazi Smith, IDL Michigan: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Smith was a four-star recruit from East Kentwood High School in Kentwood, Mich. in the class of 2019

Michigan Wolverines interior defensive lineman Mazi Smith is one of the most unique prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft. Smith’s freakish combination of athleticism and strength makes him a near lock for the top 100 selections. However, his role in the NFL remains up for debate.

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Mazi Smith, IDL Michigan: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Senior nose tackle from Grand Rapids, Mich.

Background: Smith was a four-star recruit from East Kentwood High School in Kentwood, Mich. in the class of 2019. He was the No. 105 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 142 for Rivals, and No. 100 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 45th in the nation with an 86 grade out of 100. Smith amassed 81 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and forced three fumbles as a high school senior while leading his team to the Ottawa Kent Conference Red Division title and the state quarterfinals. He earned an invitation to the 2019 Under Armour All-American Game. Smith received All-State honors from The Detroit News as a junior and senior. He committed to Michigan over offers from Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan State, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Wisconsin, and other Power Five programs. Smith was born on June 16, 2001.

2021 Production: 14 games, 37 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 21 pressures, 3 passes defensed

2020 Production: 5 games, 3 tackles, 1 tackle for loss

2019 Production: 2 games

Injuries & Off-Field: 2022 felony charge of carrying a concealed weapon

Awards: 2020 Academic All-Big Ten, 2021 Academic All-Big Ten, 2021 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten, 2022 First-Team All-Big Ten, 2022 Michigan Wolverines Defensive Player of the Year

Pros: Gets his hands up for PBUs, rarely penalized, motor runs hot, immense upper body strength to torque defenders, carries momentum and speed on stunts, some ability to flatten his rush angle, eyes see into the backfield and track the running back, grip strength helps pull linemen off balance, impressive closing burst at his size, core strength, athleticism to be a two-gap lineman, push-pull pass rush move, club move, developing bull rush, one-armed stabs throw linemen off balance, battles through half-man rush, usually holds the point of attack, disengages from blocks and redirects to the football, holds the point of attack against double teams, sniffs out screens, improved lower body composition from 2021 to 2022, hands are powerful and violent, unique quickness/suddenness at his size, significantly improved hand counters from 2021 to 2022

Cons: Occasional missed tackles, limited special teams upside, late off the snap, lacks an explosive first step, able to be washed down the line, pad level rises quickly, doesn’t consistently win the leverage battle, struggles to generate anything against double teams, looks top-heavy, good but not elite arm length, hands deploy late, needs to refine his arsenal of pass rush moves and counters, hands are powerful but lack purpose, pass rush stalls after his initial move, contributions as a pass rusher come and go, unknown if he’ll be a two-down or three-down player

Overview: Smith is unofficially listed at 6'3", 337 lbs. He applied pressure on 7.7% of his pass rush attempts in 2021 and 6.25% during the 2022 regular season. Smith takes snaps all across the defensive interior for Michigan, including at 0-tech, 1-tech, 2-tech, and 3-tech. He was the top athlete on Bruce Feldman’s 2022 Freaks List for The Athletic. According to Feldman, Smith offers a rare combination of strength and agility. The senior is credited with benching a maximum of 550 lbs. and putting up 22 reps of 325 lbs. (the NFL Combine uses 225 lbs. for its bench press exercise). Smith jumps 33 inches in the vertical and 9'4.5" in the broad. He runs a 4.41 20-yard shuttle, which would’ve tied Thomas Booker for the best mark among interior defensive linemen at the 2022 NFL Combine. Smith runs a 6.95 three-cone, which would’ve only trailed Darrian Beavers, Aidan Hutchinson, and Travon Walker among all box defenders at last year’s combine. He also posts an 11.90 60-yard shuttle time. Smith possesses immense upper body and core strength to torque defenders. His physical traits are among the best in the 2023 draft class. Smith’s athleticism allows him to operate as a two-gap lineman, carry momentum and speed on stunts, flatten his rush angle slightly, and display unique quickness and suddenness at his size. The senior’s motor runs hot. He offers upside as a pursuit player because of his closing burst and ability to disengage from blocks and redirect to the football. As a run defender, Smith’s eyes see into the backfield and track the running back. He holds the point of attack against double teams and displays the grip strength to pull linemen off balance. As a pass rusher, Smith uses push-pull, club, and bull rush moves. He’s also working on a one-armed stab to throw linemen off balance. The former four-star recruit battles through his half-man rush and gets his hands up for pass breakups when he can’t reach the quarterback. His hands are powerful and violent. From his junior to senior season, Smith improved his lower body composition and strength and significantly improved his hand counters. Unfortunately, Smith is often late off the snap and lacks an explosive first step. There are instances where he’s washed down the line, and he struggles to generate displacement against double teams. He has good but not elite arm length and deploys his hands late. Smith still needs to refine his arsenal of pass rush moves and counters. His hands are powerful but lack purpose. The All-Big Ten selection’s pass rush stalls after his initial move too frequently, and it’s unknown if he’ll be a two-down or three-down player at the next level. Finally, Smith’s pad level rises quickly after the snap and leads to him consistently losing the leverage battle.  

Overall, Smith is a freakishly athletic and powerful interior defensive lineman capable of wrecking running games and providing interior pressure, but he needs to play with better leverage and show development in his pass rush plan. Some teams might view Smith as a two-down player, but he’s shown enough upside as a pass rusher to project as a three-down player with tons of raw potential.

Role & Scheme Fit: 2-tech in an even front or 1-tech in an odd front

Round Projection: Early Third to Late Third

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 12-30-22