Impact The 2023 first-round pick has failed to make any kind of impact in his first two NFL seasons, with his only redeeming quality being that he hasn't missed a game. Smith graded out 208th among 220 interior defensive linemen last year according to Pro Football Focus, and offseason turnover in the coaching staff means that the current brain trust of head coach Brian Schottenheimer and defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus have little investment in keeping the 24-year-old Michigan product around. "We're still in the information gathering process," Schottenheimer said Monday. "We'll sit down after we play Friday and we'll make some decisions about the entire roster. There will probably be some surprises from some of the mock things that are out there in terms of, 'Hey, I thought for sure this guy was gonna make it.' " The coach did note that Smith "did some good things" in last Saturday's preseason game against the Ravens, but he also highlighted his lack of consistency. "Mazi wants to be a great player. Mazi can. But what he has to do is be more consistent. That great play I described where he's getting his second step in the dirt and fish-hooking the center and he's basically destroying the line of scrimmage, that's got to be the standard. Not the, 'OK, I did that,' and for two plays I'm not holding the point as strong as I need to." Smith may get his last chance to prove he belongs on the 53-man roster in Friday's preseason finale against the Falcons.
AUGUST 19, 2025 • ROTOWIRE
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