xwalker
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Mazi Smith
6-3, 323, 33-3/4" arms, 9-3/4" hands
He lost 4 pounds for his pro day (weighed 319).
Reportedly played at about 337.
I've posted previously that I didn't think Mazi would be a 1st round pick.
- He appeared to need a lot of development for the NFL but has high upside potential.
- I'm still tentative but I think Dan Quinn can mold him into a good player.
When I first reviewed Mazi, I had already read some draft reports on him.
- Normally I try to watch the game footage before reading the reports.
- I expected a super big & powerful blob that didn't move well.
- What I saw was somewhat opposite.
- He moves much better than I expected.
- However, he was not as powerful as I expected.
- I had posted at one point that he could drop down to about 315 and play 3tech.
He has a squatty frog-looking stance when lined up.
- Both feet even and widely split apart (most DL have 1 foot farther forward than the other).
- Tends to have his feet pointed outward in a somewhat exaggerated "duck footed" alignment.
- His backside tends to be very close to the ground as compared to most DLinemen.
- I did notice that some other Michigan DL had a similar stance.
He is powerful, but it does not show up as overwhelming power like Vita Vea.
- In college Vita Vea would drive OL straight back on a routine basis & rarely budged vs double-teams.
- Mazi rarely drives OL straight back for several yards and he does give up some ground to double-teams.
He has a very strong upper body and can get OL off of him with a rip move.
- He is very good at flowing down the line against outside zone runs.
- He often gets back over to make a tackle on runs that initially went away from him.
His lack of sacks is not due to a lack of athleticism.
- On the rare occasions that he pass rushes immediately off the snap, he generally gets penetration.
- He does not know what to do when he does get penetration and tends to just barely miss getting sacks.
- He is very quick and athletic for a 320+ DT. Don't believe the draft reports that claim otherwise.
- He weighed 323 at the combine but reportedly played at over 330.
He appeared to play a relatively high percentage of snaps for a 320+ DT.
- I think that might have caused him to occasionally look unimpressive.
- He had a couple of good plays vs TCU and then seemed to wear down a bit playing against Avila.
- He looked better vs Ohio State.
6-3, 323, 33-3/4" arms, 9-3/4" hands
He lost 4 pounds for his pro day (weighed 319).
Reportedly played at about 337.
I've posted previously that I didn't think Mazi would be a 1st round pick.
- He appeared to need a lot of development for the NFL but has high upside potential.
- I'm still tentative but I think Dan Quinn can mold him into a good player.
When I first reviewed Mazi, I had already read some draft reports on him.
- Normally I try to watch the game footage before reading the reports.
- I expected a super big & powerful blob that didn't move well.
- What I saw was somewhat opposite.
- He moves much better than I expected.
- However, he was not as powerful as I expected.
- I had posted at one point that he could drop down to about 315 and play 3tech.
He has a squatty frog-looking stance when lined up.
- Both feet even and widely split apart (most DL have 1 foot farther forward than the other).
- Tends to have his feet pointed outward in a somewhat exaggerated "duck footed" alignment.
- His backside tends to be very close to the ground as compared to most DLinemen.
- I did notice that some other Michigan DL had a similar stance.
He is powerful, but it does not show up as overwhelming power like Vita Vea.
- In college Vita Vea would drive OL straight back on a routine basis & rarely budged vs double-teams.
- Mazi rarely drives OL straight back for several yards and he does give up some ground to double-teams.
He has a very strong upper body and can get OL off of him with a rip move.
- He is very good at flowing down the line against outside zone runs.
- He often gets back over to make a tackle on runs that initially went away from him.
His lack of sacks is not due to a lack of athleticism.
- On the rare occasions that he pass rushes immediately off the snap, he generally gets penetration.
- He does not know what to do when he does get penetration and tends to just barely miss getting sacks.
- He is very quick and athletic for a 320+ DT. Don't believe the draft reports that claim otherwise.
- He weighed 323 at the combine but reportedly played at over 330.
He appeared to play a relatively high percentage of snaps for a 320+ DT.
- I think that might have caused him to occasionally look unimpressive.
- He had a couple of good plays vs TCU and then seemed to wear down a bit playing against Avila.
- He looked better vs Ohio State.
