Cowboys' Mazi Smith Mistakenly Labeled 'Most Haunting' Draft Pick

FRISCO - We get it, there is a generation of Dallas Cowboys fans pushing 30 that hasn't seen their team in an NFC Championship Game, much less a Super Bowl. But it's cute to somehow believe - pretend? - that the franchise is only a couple of decades old.

The Cowboys were born in the Cotton Bowl in 1960, won two Super Bowls in the 1970s and three more in the '90s. Along the way there were quarterback controversies, coaching changes and, yes, many a draft bust.

So when the folks at Bleacher Report this week rolled out their list of each NFL team's "most haunting" draft pick, we here collectively rolled our eyes. We agree that Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith was a mistake teetering on being a complete bust, but ... the most haunting? Ever?

Writes B/R about Mazi: "The former Wolverine had a rare combination of size, strength and athleticism to become a "high ceiling" prospect heading into the 2023 draft. There was just one problem: That didn't translate onto the field. Smith will go down as a classic "workout warrior." While his strength was apparent as a run defender, his movement skills didn't show up on tape, and that resulted in minimal pass-rush production with only 0.5 sacks in three seasons."

Albeit disappointing, the pick of Mazi isn't even on our list of the Cowboys' 10 worst all-time draft picks. Though he's shown only marginal improvement in two seasons, he isn't a finished product and it's too early for a final grade.

Besides, this is the same team that spectacularly whiffed on first-round picks such as Scott Appleton (1964), Morris Claiborne (2012) and Taco Charlton (2017).

When it comes to being haunted, the Cowboys have plenty of draft-pick ghosts. But Mazi isn't among them ... yet.