A lot can change in a year in the National Football League as many jokingly refer to the acronym NFL as standing for Not For Long. That's certainly been the case for three-time All-Pro Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys defense and their feelings toward 2023 first-round pick defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
On the opening night of the 2023 NFL Draft, Parsons revealed on Bleacher Report's "Draft Night" live stream show that he had texted then-Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, now the Washington Commanders head coach, earlier in the afternoon asking for Dallas to draft the Michigan defensive tackle. When the pick was announced, Parsons lept up out of his seat and screamed, "Let's go man!" while pumping his fist and said, "huge" while clapping his hands. His reaction stemmed from the help he believed he was about to get stopping the run and absorbing interior offensive linemen.
The vibe around Smith is much more urgent than optimistic in 2024 following a disappointing rookie campaign. He produced 13 tackles, one sack, eight quarterback pressures and just three tackles for loss despite playing in all 17 regular-season games in 2023, three of which were starts. Smith was only able to get on the field for four snaps in the season-ending 48-32 NFC wild card round playoff loss against the Green Bay Packers. Much of his struggles can be attributed to inconsistency in his frame. Smith was listed at 337 pounds Michigan in 2022 -- his current listed weight by the Cowboys -- and 323 pounds at the 2023 NFL Combine. However, his weight dropped below 300 pounds during the season in an effort to fit Quinn's scheme, which asked him to be a tackle that gets up the field.
"It's not what I think he can be, it's what Mazi has to be," Parsons said on Friday when asked about the first-round pick entering his second season. "When you get to this business, there is no more of a choice or a can: it's either you will or you won't. They usually try to find someone else to do it if you can't. It's what Mazi has to be. He has to be dominant. He has to be a force. He has to be that guy for us. … That's why they drafted him in the first round. You're not getting drafted in the first round not to be a productive talent. Not to be on the sideline. We drafted him to be in the game. That's how much confidence I have. I don't expect Mazi to do anything, it's what Mazi has to do at this point."
New defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer is going to ask him to be more of gap-plugging defensive tackle in 2024 like he was as a Wolverine, a role that will allow him to bulk back up.
"He lost a lot of weight when he got here," Zimmer said earlier this offseason. "He was trying to be an attacking three-technique to get up the field. ... Obviously, he was a high draft pick. I heard that he kind of struggled last year, so we're gonna start with the basics: Get him in a good stance, get him using his hands the right way, getting his footwork the right way and then go from there. We're going to probably play blocks a little bit more, and try not to get reached so linebackers know where they're supposed to fit, so forth and so on ... That's the biggest thing. … Yeah, it's what he did in college."
Smith has taken Parsons' comments to heart and spent the offseason locked in on preparing for the upcoming 2024 season.
"I did everything I was supposed to do and did nothing but train," Smith said on Sunday when asked about his offseason. "Everything in my power. Control the controllables. In this scheme, I don't want to be 290. Probably want to be like 310-315. See what that's doing for you. If you have to go up [more in weight], go up."
He acknowledged what Zimmer is asking of him aligns well with his strength.
"My whole career I've been a guy who could play in multiple schemes. I got the athletic traits to be an up field guy, but I have the strength to play at the line of scrimmage and build a wall," Smith said. "He's [Zimmer] telling me what to do. He's seeing some of the same things I see in my own game that I want to improve, and he's right there with me helping me improve."
Improvement is a generic goal, but Smith is ok with that for his second season. He can't wait for Week 1 and the fresh slate that the 2024 season will provide.
"I kind of go over there with a clean slate," Smith said. "I want to write my story. I don't really set goals. Everybody want to be an All-Pro. Everybody want to be top five. I want to be the best me I can be, and I know what that can get me. It got me to this point. I'm not worried about accolades. ... Last year was hard for me. ... I learned how to adjust quicker. In college, when I first went to college it took me a little longer to adjust. I feel I'm where I'm supposed to be now."
After observing Smith's adjustments this offseason ahead of a make, Parsons is where he is supposed to be as one of the Cowboys' top players and leaders: fully in Smith's corner.
"That's why I'm in his corner, I'm rooting for him and hoping to get him better every day," Parsons said. "Pushing his conditioning, pushing his limit because we need Mazi to be strong. We need Mazi to be that great force. He can be a dominant player. It's just a will and mindset. That's why we're all here."
