Taco 2.0? Cowboys Confident Mazi Smith Not Another Michigan DL Bust

The Dallas Cowboys needed a defensive lineman in the first round of the NFL Draft and - demons be damned - turned again to Michigan to find him.

Oh no, not another Taco?!

Admit it, you had at least a twinge of a cringe Thursday night when the Dallas Cowboys selected a relatively unheralded defensive lineman from Michigan late in the first round of the NFL Draft.

2017: Taco Charlton, 28th. 2023: Mazi Smith, 26th.

Draft experts claim Smith "pops off the screen" and "lives in the backfield." Micah Parsons apparently pined for him with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Cowboys sources told our Mike Fisher that he's a "powerful force!" And Smith's first interview with Dallas media sounded, well, ferocious enough.

Said Smith, "When I get on the field it's always about being a dog!"

But ... it's human nature - and Cowboys history - to be uneasy with the haunting familiarity of this pick. Six years ago the Cowboys desperately needed a pass rusher. Now, they need run-stuffers. Different problems, same solution?

Said Jerry Jones of Charlton at the time: "From my perspective, he has real athleticism. He has the length we are trying to get at the right defensive end. He gives you a real good player who can play the left side and play inside as well. You've got a lot of flex here. His size is one of his greatest attributes. He looks like a defensive player and defensive end in the NFL."

But, alas, he didn't play like one.

Taco, in fact, made our list of the Cowboys' 10 worst all-time draft picks. Drafted two spots ahead of future Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt, Charlton started only seven games over two injury-riddled seasons before being released.

There's no rational reason to fear Smith being another Taco. Except for the player's position ... and the player's school ... and the quirkiness of the player's first name ... and the slot he was drafted ... and the owner who pulled the trigger on the pick.

Fair or not, Mazi Smith will not only have to win over Cowboys coaches and teammates. He'll have to beat out the ghost of Taco Charlton to win over fans.

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