The Dallas Cowboys used their first-round pick on defensive tackle Mazi Smith out of Michigan. It was a surprise pick for most Cowboys fans since the team has been averse to picking a DT in the first round, but defensive coordinator Dan Quinn gets his big bodied, powerful man in the middle.
With the Cowboys re-signing DT Johnathan Hankins, where does that leave Smith on the depth chart as a rookie? Most first-round picks are expected to start right away, but that might not be the case with Smith. Hankins’ presence as a veteran gives him an edge at one of the DT spots, and last year’s other starter on the inside, Osa Odighizuwa, returns as well.
With Smith adjusting to life in the NFL, he’ll be battling Hankins and Odighizuwa for a starting role. Odighizuwa offers more as a pass rusher than both Hankins and Smith, but that might not mean he’ll keep his spot in the starting lineup.
On the flip side, Hankins is 31-years old and in his 11th season, so he might be better served seeing fewer snaps. Most defenses don’t line up with two nose tackles who primarily stop the run and don’t offer much as pass rushers, so it’s difficult to see Smith and Hankins in the starting lineup together.
With Smith’s freakish athletic ability, he could be just scratching the surface as a pass rusher. It’s something he wasn’t asked to do much of at Michigan, but Smith’s got the tools to be a solid interior pass rusher and it shouldn’t be long before he becomes a starter.
If Smith isn’t working with the first-team from Day 1, he’ll be in a rotation with veteran DTs Neville Gallimore and Quinton Bohanna, as well as the versatile DL Chauncey Golston, to give the Cowboys a formidable group in the middle of Quinn’s defense.
However, don’t expect the rookie to be on the bench for a long time. When Smith arrives in Dallas, he’ll be the most talented DT on the Cowboys’ roster and should earn his way to the top of the depth chart quickly. Much is expected of Smith, which comes with the territory of being a first round pick.
Even if Smith doesn’t start right away, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see him in the starting lineup with Odighizuwa for most of the season with Hankins rotating in. It’s only a matter of time until Mazi Smith makes his case to be a starting DT with the Cowboys, and that time will be sooner rather than later.
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Story originally appeared on Cowboys Wire