Eight FOX Sports football writers collaborated on a first-round projection which brought Michigan Wolverines defensive tackle prospect Mazi Smith to the New Orleans Saints. The interior line is a big priority for the Saints, so this pick would make a lot of sense late in Round 1. Here’s what FOX Sports’ Greg Auman wrote of the match:
The Saints’ defensive front has taken a hit this spring, losing David Onyemata (Falcons), Shy Tuttle (Panthers) and Kentavius Street (Eagles). They’ve replenished with two veteran signings, but New Orleans could use a jolt of youth to its defensive front, and Smith is a good match here, with Kancey gone much earlier in the round.
Smith is a mammoth, even for a team that values size — at 6-foot-3 and 323 pounds with 33.7-inch arms, he’d tower over the big man in the New Orleans clubhouse (Khalen Saunders, who weighs in at 6-flat and 324 pounds with 32.2-inch arms). And he uses his physical gifts well, excelling in run defense and cutting off running lanes while creating opportunities for his linebackers and teammates at the second level.
As for his stats: Smith has appeared in 30 games for the Wolverines, totaling 88 tackles (39 solo, 6 tackles for loss) but just half a sack and 3 pass breakups, with one forced fumble and one recovery. He isn’t known for his pass-rush ability but Pro Football Focus charting found he has generated 46 quarterback pressures over the last two years, and he’s athletic enough to continue to grow in that area. He could rotate into early downs for the Saints and not necessarily have to leave the field in obvious passing situations, though it’ll take some time before he’s a real asset in that phase.
From that description you would think he’s more of a nose tackle lining up head-over-center, but that’s not quite the case: Michigan lined him up in the B gap on 834 of his 1,234 career snaps. The Saints should be looking for someone who can line up from the three-technique spot over a guard’s outside shoulder and shoot the B gap between the tackle to make a play, so he fits the description. He’s on the opposite end of the physical spectrum from undersized Pitt Panthers prospect Calijah Kancey, another first-round talent being connected to the Saints, and who was picked much sooner in this mock draft. We’ll see who is available for New Orleans in the draft and which direction they choose to go, but it’s clear that they’ll have options.
