Mazi Smith enters year three with Dallas amid high expectations for a first‑round pick who has yet to fully meet the hype. His athleticism is unquestioned; The Athletic once named him the freakiest lineman in college football, with jaw‑dropping numbers at Michigan and at the scouting combine. Parsons’ enthusiastic reaction at the draft suggested Smith has the backing of Dallas’ defense, a unit desperate for interior disruption. Smith’s 2023 and 2024 stat lines show growth but not the breakout many envisioned, keeping fantasy folks wary but hopeful for a Year 3 jump. The Cowboys’ historical affinity for Michigan linemen provides a cultural backdrop, while off‑field headlines from college still linger. If he can earn more snaps and translate athletic gifts into consistent pressure, his fantasy floor could rise alongside his role in a Parsons‑led defense.

The piece threads in a wider NFL college‑to‑pro angle, noting the Cowboys’ prior first‑round interior DL picks and a Michigan defensive‑lineman pipeline that has yielded big names in recent drafts. It also touches on Smith’s arrest in college and his creative‑writing background, painting a multidimensional portrait of a player who blends power with rare burst. All told, Smith is positioned for a meaningful, perhaps season‑defining, third year — a pivot point for fantasy managers who have watched him steadily grow but wait for a definitive breakout moment.