DALLAS — Heading into training camp and the 2023 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys have one of the strongest groups of defensive ends in the entire league.
However, the depth on the interior defensive line is not nearly at that level, with Locked on Cowboys hosts Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool describing defensive tackle as the weakest position on the roster currently.
Help may be on the way in the form of first round pick Mazi Smith, a defensive tackle out of Michigan who will have a chance to prove himself right away in the middle of this Dallas defensive front.
And while the team's need on the inside is apparent, Mosher and McCool are hopeful the staff won't push him too far out of his comfort zone in year one.
"They're relying on him to do things that he has shown that he can do in college," McCool said. "They're not asking him to come in and be a dominant pass rusher right away, they've got that part taken care of with other players. And that's enough."
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Smith is an elite run-stuffer who plugs holes up the middle, and he is the first interior defensive tackle taken by Dallas in the first round in nearly 30 years, a testament both to the front office's belief in him as a player and the team's need to improve at the position.
Knowing DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons will wreak havoc on the outside, prioritizing a run-stuffer to play alongside Osa Odighizuwa was key for Dan Quinn's defense, and while Smith will certainly be part of a rotation as a rookie his skill-set makes him a critical piece for Dallas as they look to stay on par with the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East.