The Dallas Cowboys wasted a 1st-round pick on defensive tackle Mazi Smith in the 2023 NFL Draft. The New York Jets might not want to waste any more time trying to develop Smith.

The Jets declined the 5th year option on Smith’s contract ahead of the May 1 deadline and will instead let him play out the final season of his 4-year, $13.27 million rookie contract.

Smith was part of the blockbuster trade between the Cowboys and Jets in November that brought the Cowboys NFL All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams in exchange for Smith, a 2027 1st round pick, and a 2026 2nd round pick.

In retrospect, Smith seems to be the least important part of that trade.

“The Jets declined to exercise the fifth-year option for DT Mazi Smith, whom they acquired from Dallas in the Quinnen Williams trade,” ESPN’s Rich Cimini wrote on his official X account on Wednesday. “Smith, who played only three games (54 snaps) for the Jets last season, is under contract for the coming season. He will be a free agent in 2027.”

Smith Called Cowboys’ Worst 1st Round Pick

Before the 2025 season, Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder called Smith the Cowboys’ “Worst First Round Pick” in the previous 5 years.

Smith was the No. 26 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

“(Offensive tackle) Tyler Guyton is threatening to take Smith’s spot here after struggling as a rookie,” Holder wrote in June 2025. “However, the latter has had more time to get his feet wet in the NFL and still looks like a fish out of water. The Michigan product was drafted to help stop the run but has earned run-defense grades in the 30s from Pro Football Focus in his two seasons.”

Smith’s PFF grade in 2024 put him among the worst defensive tackles in the NFL — 207th out of 219 eligible players at his position.

“Former first-rounder Mazi Smith endured a particularly tough 2024 campaign,” PFF’s Mason Cameron wrote in May 2025. “He posted an abysmal 34.7 PFF overall grade, marking his second consecutive season of earning a sub-48.0 grade. Although Dallas signed Solomon Thomas in free agency, that doesn’t profile as the answer to the Cowboys’ 30th-ranked run-defense grade (48.0).”

The writing might already be on the wall for Smith with the Jets, who probably drafted his replacement in the 4th round (No. 103 overall) with 6-foot-6, 315-pound Florida State defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr.

Cowboys Land One of NFL’s Premiere Defenders

The deal for Williams gives the Cowboys arguably the NFL’s best 1-2 punch on the interior defensive line behind just the Philadelphia Eagles duo of Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis.

The Cowboys already have Pro Bowler Kenny Clark at one of the defensive tackle spots, with Clark part of the preseason trade that sent edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for 2 first round draft picks.

The Cowboys had one of the NFL’s best offenses in 2025 but had arguably the NFL’s worst defense, finishing the season ranked 31st out of 32 NFL teams in team defense.

Williams has spent the 7 seasons of his career on one of the NFL’s worst teams — the Jets haven’t played in the postseason since 2010 and haven’t had a winning record since 2015.