Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Tyler Forness

Vikings select DL Mazi Smith in latest 2023 NFL mock draft

The front seven of the Minnesota Vikings has more questions on the defense than the secondary does. The interior defensive line is going to have two starters that need replacing and it’s not a guarantee that Za’Darius Smith is back next season.

That’s exactly what Yahoo! Sports’ Charles McDonald had in mind when he wrote his mock draft, as he sent the Vikings Michigan defensive lineman Mazi Smith.

Buy Vikings Tickets

Here is what McDonald had to say about Smith.

“Mazi Smith might not be in many first-round mocks right now, but he’s a supreme athlete for his size and should fly up boards following the NFL combine. Smith made Bruce Feldman’s freak list prior to the season and looks to be the next freak athlete Michigan puts into the NFL from their defensive line.”

Smith didn’t just make Feldman’s freak list before the season, he was at the top of the list. The one thing that raises a cause for concern was an arrest on a weapons charge this October. He will have to answer questions about it, but it doesn’t sound like a huge deal.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.