Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Mazi Smith on the field in the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Cowboys' former first-rounder expected to be healthy scratch in Week 2

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Josh Sanchez | Last updated Sep 13, 2025 8:36 AM ET

Former Dallas Cowboys first-round NFL draft pick Mazi Smith is bordering on the label of bust, and he continued his struggles with consistency throughout the 2025 preseason.

Because of his lack of consistency, Smith did not see the field in the team's Week 1 loss to the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles after being listed as inactive. It was the first time in his NFL career that Smith was inactive.

Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer has continued to say Smith's biggest issue is his up-and-down performances.

Unfortunately for Smith, those concerns still hang over his head, and he is again expected to miss the team's game in Week 2 against the New York Giants as a healthy scratch.

“In Mazi’s case, Mazi’s a good player,” Schottenheimer said. “The flashes are there. It’s just the consistency has to be there more often. Just because you’re inactive this week doesn’t mean you’re going to inactive this week. It just means you were inactive Week 1.

"They have a big role in trying to get that changed. At the end of the day, we do a great job I believe of trying to communicate to these guys on game day or the night before in this case, because of the noon start, of what the plan is. But things change in a hurry.”

If Smith wants to return to the field, he will need to prove to the coaches that he is ready to return to the field and produce. After all, one of Schottenheimer's biggest areas of focus has been "competition every day," and you need that concistency to always come out on top.