What top-ranked NFL DTs did in their rookie season

[T-RO]

Currently top-ranked defensive tackles - their rookie season performance
Chris Jones, 28 tackles, 2 sacks
Jeffery Simmons, 32 tackles, 2 sacks
Quinnen Williams, 28 tackles, 2.5 sacks
Dexter Lawrence, 38 tackles, 2.5 sacks
Cameron Hayward, 11 tackles, 1 sack
DeForest Buckner, 73 tackles, 6 sacks. (1st round, pick 7)

I'm not going to include Aaron Donald. No one like him. Not human.

We cannot assume Mazi will become a top six DT. Even if he develops into that... the immediate likelihood is 1 or 2 tackles a game. Maybe one sack in the season.

 

[AsthmaField]

All he needs to do is to clog against the run and push the pocket on passing plays. That would result in Mazi having no stats… but it would help the defense considerably.

 

[T-RO]

All he needs to do is to clog against the run and push the pocket on passing plays. That would result in Mazi having no stats… but it would help the defense considerably.

I agree. And he'll almost certainly be playing no more half the downs. All DL positions rotate in Dallas.

I just don't think some here have realistic expectations for what success would look like.

 

[big dog cowboy]

All he needs to do is to clog against the run and push the pocket on passing plays.

Most probably forgot what it was like to have a run stuffing big man at DT on our team.

 

[plasticman]

When discussing the DT position, I don't think you can get a clear picture of their value through stats. One way you might be able to tell if he is doing a good job is by looking at the the level of success for opponent RB's running down the middle.

If Mazi is doing a good job then you are sure to see an improvement to the stats of other members of the front seven, particularly the DE's and the MLB.

 

[Tabascocat]

All he has to do is plug the middle and help keep the OLine from getting to the second level. I don’t care if he ends up at zero sacks as long as the run defense improved.

 

[gimmesix]

Currently top-ranked defensive tackles - their rookie season performance
Chris Jones, 28 tackles, 2 sacks
Jeffery Simmons, 32 tackles, 2 sacks
Quinnen Williams, 28 tackles, 2.5 sacks
Dexter Lawrence, 38 tackles, 2.5 sacks
Cameron Hayward, 11 tackles, 1 sack
DeForest Buckner, 73 tackles, 6 sacks. (1st round, pick 7)

I'm not going to include Aaron Donald. No one like him. Not human.

We cannot assume Mazi will become a top six DT. Even if he develops into that... the immediate likelihood is 1 or 2 tackles a game. Maybe one sack in the season.

Hopefully, he can push the pocket when teams try to pass when he's out there. Expecting more than a couple of sacks at best from him isn't realistic (and he may not even get one sack), but if he can hold the line against the run and get some push against the pass, it makes the whole defense better.

 

[charron]

20+ tackles and 2 sacks in a rotation.

 

[T-RO]

To sweeten up the background information...draft info for all six

Chris Jones, 28 tackles, 2 sacks (2nd round, pick 37 overall)
Jeffery Simmons, 32 tackles, 2 sacks (1st round, pick 19)
Quinnen Williams, 28 tackles, 2.5 sacks (1st round, pick 3)
Dexter Lawrence, 38 tackles, 2.5 sacks (1st round, pick 17)
Cameron Hayward, 11 tackles, 1 sack (1st round, pick 31)
DeForest Buckner, 73 tackles, 6 sacks. (1st round, pick 7)

 

[Calvin2Tony2Emmitt2Julius]

I just don't get it. If this kid comes in clogs up the middle, that makes our defense along with Gilmore, much more battle ready for The NFC East battles, that's success.

 

[DanA]

To me, those guys all have a bit more pass rush. The comparable ones in my view would be

• Daron Payne (pick 13): 5 sacks, 56 tackles, 16 games
• Vita Vea (Pick 12): 3 sacks, 26 tackles, 13 games
• Dalvin Tomlinson (Pick 55): 1 sack, 50 tackles, 16 games

At least that's the body type IMO.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

This is what FF does to football.

If he brongs a pass rush that is just gravy. They told you what they wanted to use him for. Why he is being compared to several 3-5 types as opposed to the 0-3 type that he is anyway?

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

To me, those guys all have a bit more pass rush. The comparable ones in my view would be

• Daron Payne (pick 13): 5 sacks, 56 tackles, 16 games
• Vita Vea (Pick 12): 3 sacks, 26 tackles, 13 games
• Dalvin Tomlinson (Pick 55): 1 sack, 50 tackles, 16 games

At least that's the body type IMO.

And each one of those three transformed line cohesion for their fronts.

 

[T-RO]

To me, those guys all have a bit more pass rush. The comparable ones in my view would be

• Daron Payne (pick 13): 5 sacks, 56 tackles, 16 games
• Vita Vea (Pick 12): 3 sacks, 26 tackles, 13 games
• Dalvin Tomlinson (Pick 55): 1 sack, 50 tackles, 16 games

At least that's the body type IMO.

Matching body type?
-Daron Payne came into the league at 308 lb. The guy is master technician. Not a hulk.
-Vita Vea is two lineman's body in one. Far bigger and way more powerful than Mazi
-Tomlinson is more of a match physically...and his numbers are an optimistic comp

You have provided three ***wildly*** different players here yet you say they are "more comparable". Does.Not.Compute. Try again.

In my OP I merely took the top ranked DTs and looked at their rookie numbers. That's it. That's all. Wasn't comping.

 

[DanA]

Matching body type?
-Daron Payne came into the league at 308 lb. The guy is master technician. Not a hulk.
-Vita Vea is two lineman's body in one. Far bigger and way more powerful than Mazi
-Tomlinson is more of a match physically...and his numbers are an optimistic comp

You have provided three ***wildly*** different players here yet you say they are "more comparable". Does.Not.Compute. Try again.

In my OP I merely took the top ranked DTs and looked at their rookie numbers. That's it. That's all. Wasn't comping.

They all play the same position which is as a nose tackle that plugs the run with an element of pass rush rather than a 10 sack get to the QB 3 tech.

Mazi Smith is closer in weight to Vita Vea than most of the guys you mentioned but yeah, there’s not a lot of 320+ lbs DT’s that go early in the draft.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Currently top-ranked defensive tackles - their rookie season performance
Chris Jones, 28 tackles, 2 sacks
Jeffery Simmons, 32 tackles, 2 sacks
Quinnen Williams, 28 tackles, 2.5 sacks
Dexter Lawrence, 38 tackles, 2.5 sacks
Cameron Hayward, 11 tackles, 1 sack
DeForest Buckner, 73 tackles, 6 sacks. (1st round, pick 7)

I'm not going to include Aaron Donald. No one like him. Not human.

We cannot assume Mazi will become a top six DT. Even if he develops into that... the immediate likelihood is 1 or 2 tackles a game. Maybe one sack in the season.

and that would be ok, if he occupies space, sometimes demanding double teams, and allowing LBs to flow to the ball at the line, and not at the second level.

I wonder what the difference in performance is for players around those rookies and over all defensive improvement.

its not always about the individual stats

 

[noshame]

It's all about blocking the quarterbacks vision and not allowing him to step up.

 

[T-RO]

and that would be ok, if he occupies space, sometimes demanding double teams, and allowing LBs to flow to the ball at the line, and not at the second level.

I wonder what the difference in performance is for players around those rookies and over all defensive improvement.

its not always about the individual stats

I comped Mazi to Dallas, though always after a trade down. It was a limp draft class, and the pick made sense given Dallas' relative strength at other positions but need in the middle of the defense.

But reality? In most drafts Mazi is a second round pick. He's not an elite prospect nor a refined one. My hope in this thread is to recalibrate Cowboy fans expectations: don't expect too much, especially statistically, and especially not in year one.

If he can help a little in year one...and build on it...the pick can prove a success.

P A T I E N C E

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

I comped Mazi to Dallas, though always after a trade down. It was a limp draft class, and the pick made sense given Dallas' relative strength at other positions but need in the middle of the defense.

But reality? In most drafts Mazi is a second round pick. He's not an elite prospect nor a refined one. My hope in this thread is to recalibrate Cowboy fans expectations: don't expect too much, especially statistically, and especially not in year one.

If he can help a little in year one...and build on it...the pick can prove a success.

P A T I E N C E

I think in any draft there are truly 15-18 actual first round pick talents. the rest are second tier, thus it comes down to finding a player that fits a need and ranks high enough for you to take him at that spot and draft strategy, based on wher you are picking. Could dallas pass on him and end up getting him in the second round? probably not, so they may have slightly over drafted, but got the player they though was a fit and a position of need. you have to take the whole draft into account, not individual player picked at a specific spot. certainly there was interest in Mazi and they didn't feel he would be there in the second (would KC take him and pair him with Jones up front? perhaps there was a great chance that would happen).

 

[blueblood70]

Currently top-ranked defensive tackles - their rookie season performance
Chris Jones, 28 tackles, 2 sacks
Jeffery Simmons, 32 tackles, 2 sacks
Quinnen Williams, 28 tackles, 2.5 sacks
Dexter Lawrence, 38 tackles, 2.5 sacks
Cameron Hayward, 11 tackles, 1 sack
DeForest Buckner, 73 tackles, 6 sacks. (1st round, pick 7)

I'm not going to include Aaron Donald. No one like him. Not human.

We cannot assume Mazi will become a top six DT. Even if he develops into that... the immediate likelihood is 1 or 2 tackles a game. Maybe one sack in the season.

good benchmark

so those who hated the pick aren't using ridiculous expectations on him year one and call him a bust if he doesn't get there,

what did Trysten Hill do..mnot much lol

4 years
Career

39 tackles
12 solo
1.5 sacks
0
0
0