Mazi Smith PFF grades over the season

[Tabascocat]

I thought he played a good game as well, but I guess we will see what the grading looks like.

It was a rough first half for him getting run over but he turned it around.

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

It would appear he is improving...although I also don't put much stock into their grading. They've clearly seen different things than me in regards to certain players in certain games.

I feel like mazi body isn’t finished yet. He’s still changing as the season goes it seems

I wouldn’t write him off or a second contract jsut yet

 

[Risen Star]

He had half a sack today.

The pass rush is being unleashed.

 

[Whiskey Cowboy]

Well let's hope the light has finally come on for Mazi!!

He's looking more and more disruptive by the week. I like what I've seen in flashes. Now he just needs to put it all together.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I feel like mazi body isn’t finished yet. He’s still changing as the season goes it seems

I wouldn’t write him off or a second contract jsut yet

His strength and quickness is not at issue for what I see. His arms are not going to get any longer.

His issue is recognition. Put him on the move laterally with stretches and the like and he gets caught unaware a lot. GB, SF, and the top Shanahan teams destroy him. Teams like the Giants and Texans get some huge lanes to cut in or back to.

What is encouraging is that he is getting better with his awareness and technique as he plays. The key for him is if he can get better between an offseason instead of just during a season. Right now he is too damn inconsistent.

The unsung DL hero in my view has been Gholston. He is the one who should be getting more praise than Mazi.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

Ill start by saying I dont put a ton into PFF's overall grade. Their value to me is in stat tracking. However its showing a clear trend

Week 1: 30.4
Week 2: 30.2
Week 3: 33
Week 4: 88.4
Week 5: 32.1
Week 6: 49.5
Week 7: 49.3
Week 8: 27.4
Week 9: 63.4
Week 10: 55.9
Week 11: 69.6

The trend is ... higher and lower?

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

His strength and quickness is not at issue for what I see. His arms are not going to get any longer.

His issue is recognition. Put him on the move laterally with stretches and the like and he gets caught unaware a lot. GB, SF, and the top Shanahan teams destroy him. Teams like the Giants and Texans get some huge lanes to cut in or back to.

What is encouraging is that he is getting better with his awareness and technique as he plays. The key for him is if he can get better between an offseason instead of just during a season. Right now he is too damn inconsistent.

The unsung DL hero in my view has been Gholston. He is the one who should be getting more praise than Mazi.

Yes, Gholston!
The chap is coming on strong!

 

[DuncanIso]

Well said. DT is one of the positions that is harder to get right when drafting a guy. Other than QB, DT is very hard to translate to the NFL. So far, I think in no way can we say he is or will be a bust. Worst case, I see a guy that's serviceable and can play in the NFL a long time. He may never be a beast, but that's ok. All we need him to be is good. I think he has shown he can. It will take another season to see.

They need to find another 1DT in FA or the draft.

everyone tries to ignore or make excuses for Mazi.

we gonna lose OSA too.

 

[thunderpimp91]

It's all mental for Mazi.

The run blocking schemes/plays that get DTs moving sideways cause him more problems than straight-ahead power-man blocking...DTs can't move too quickly down the line but also can't move too slowly.

The Shanahan run blocking scheme seems to be his nemesis.

This is pretty spot on. Going back to last year Mazi clearly struggled to even recognize and react any sort of block that wasn't straight ahead and it why his play looked like a lost cause at times. This year he is still struggling with certain things, but you're spot on in the idea that he just doesn't have a feel for the timing of the pro game yet in moving with the OL on those zone runs. That is something that should come with more and more reps.

Anyone who wants to see a quick/easy example of this just needs to go back and look at the Pittsburgh game from this year. It was a tale of two halves for Mazi where he looked like he put it together for part of that game, but did a total 180 when Pittsburgh ran heavy outside zone/stretch runs. He moves so poorly with the OL that at this point his best move is to let the center cross his face and Mazi try to slip through the backdoor A gap. Overall though his tape so far leaves me optimistic about his future in this league. Just have to hope he puts it all together before its too late

 

[charron]

He's improving into the realm of average. By the time his contract is up, (4 years unless the morons pick up the 5th year option), Mazi will be a decent rotational DT.

 

[DuncanIso]

He's improving into the realm of average. By the time his contract is up, (4 years unless the morons pick up the 5th year option), Mazi will be a decent rotational DT.

They can post June 1 cut him in early 2026.

 

[darthseinfeld]

They can post June 1 cut him in early 2026.

He is turning into a solid lineman, and you are already looking forward to cutting him?

 

[BoyzBlaster]

So you're saying he is working up to JAG level just in time for Jerry to overpay him with a 2nd bloated contract?

 

[BoyzBlaster]

He had half a sack today.

The pass rush is being unleashed.

Next stop - whole numbers.

 

[thunderpimp91]

He is turning into a solid lineman, and you are already looking forward to cutting him?

Yeah cutting him seems very unlikely. Rookie deal makes him affordable and even at this point he is playing to a rotational level. Unless they invest in multiple DTs over the next couple years I dont see many scenarios where he gets cut. Stephen will let him play out that last year if for nothing else that he could get you a draft pick coming back after he leaves.

 

[charron]

They can post June 1 cut him in early 2026.

That's true but they don't typically do that. Even if they believe he is underperforming they'll likely let him play out the contract.

 

[doomsday9084]

He has worked his way up from objectively awful to merely subpar.

I was watching the Ohio State - Indiana game and was paying particular attention to the DT's. There was one on each side that I would take over Mazi (Williams on OSU, forget IU). The difference in their quickness over Mazi was noticeable while also being big boys.

 

[CowboysLakerBamaFan]

He's finally become a borderline average #4 or #5 DT.

Perhaps next year we can package multiple first rounders, and use them to get a legit #3 quality DT

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I get living in the moment but at a certain point it makes you stupid.

He is a young player that finally is starting to improve in year 2 and our braintrust acts like it just ends in the here and now.

 

[conner01]

Mazi is proving to be a rotational defensive tackle but he has a long way to go to be first round pick worthy. Hopefully a good end of season followed by a strong offseason will do the trick.

He was never first rnd worthy but if he learns to use his freakish athletic ability and puts in the effort not only on the field but with technique he could be a solid rotational guy which would be an improvement. He still uses poor technique a lot, still slow off the snap and doesn’t appear to be putting 100% effort every play