Dallas Cowboys Rookie Mazi Smith Grade? Jerry Jones Channels Coach Tom Landry

Dallas Cowboys rookie defensive tackle Mazi Smith continues to receive the praise of respected teammates. On Friday, it was given by the man who matters most: Jerry Jones. ... who cites ... the late coach Tom Landry?

Despite Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Mazi Smith struggling to get his rookie campaign off the ground, he’s received a healthy amount of praise from teammates and decision-makers alike.

Edge rusher Micah Parsons projected a mid-season breakout. Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins has preached patience. Even COO Stephen Jones joined in, claiming that criticism is directed at Smith for not rushing the passer - something Dallas doesn’t intend on asking him to do.

All in all, these comments are good. He hasn’t lost the trust of the team and there’s enough infrastructure in place so he’s not left out to dry amidst his slow start. (And for the record: We're not asking him to sack the QB yet. But he's a prospective starter who has played 40 snaps in three games. That's a legit criticism of what's happening.)

Cowboys Mazi Smith, Jerry Jones & Tom Landry

Of course, there’s one person who needs to be impressed more than anyone else: owner Jerry Jones.

Jones spoke on 105.3 The Fan about the expectations he has for the rookie, calling him a “very outstanding football player that has some of the most unique football attributes that have ever been put on the field.”

They may not have turned into results just yet, but Jones seems confident in the 26th overall pick.

“I’m talking about athletic skill as well as strength,” Jones continued.

Smith’s 6-3, 337-pound frame, along with his draft capital, has helped generate a good amount of hype. Having played only those 40 snaps through three games, though, some are getting impatient.

Dallas' Mazi Smith takes on the Jets' Laken Tomlinson

To an extent, it’s justified: spending a first-round pick on a prospect who projects as a non-impact player as a rookie can be costly for a team working at fielding a contending roster. But Jerry reached way back while preaching patience.

“The great Tom Landry said, ‘Don’t ever pass judgment on a defensive lineman until you’ve seen him three years,’” noted Jones, who CowboysSI.com will point out used the exact same line to defend recent premium-pick D-linemen Taco Charlon and Trysten Hill. (And Cowboys Nation knows how those turned out.)

Not everyone can wreck games like Parsons as a rookie, and if Smith does become the type of tackle his draft slot may insinuate, it won’t look remotely like the edge’s success. He will have taken the starting job from Hankins and allowed others’ production to bloom, instead of putting up gaudy stats himself.

Still, it’d at least be nice to see him contributing in some capacity. A dozen snaps per game isn’t going to cut it. Fans want that timeline to accelerate, and Jones isn’t scared to dangle it in front of them.

“He will be a big influence for us, to our success, this year,” Jones said, surely hoping there is a movement forward on Sunday in Week 4 against the visiting Patriots. “This year.”

With all due respect to Mazi, Jerry and the late and legendary Landry ... "this year'' sounds a lot better than "three years.''