Jets make obvious decision on former first-round bust defensive tackle

The New York Jets made their decisions on fifth-year options this past week, picking up the club option on 2023 first-round pick Will McDonald IV, and declining the option on former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Mazi Smith.

The decision on Smith was a no-brainer, considering the fact that the former Michigan standout was a throw-in on the Jets-Cowboys Quinnen Williams trade at last year's trade deadline. Smith only ended up playing 54 defensive snaps for the Jets after coming over in the deal.

Smith's club option would've cost the Jets $13.93 million, according to Spotrac, clearly not a palatable price tag for a player who doesn't expect to play a major role in New York's defense.

In fact, it's entirely possible Smith doesn't even end up making the Jets' 53-man roster over the summer, considering all of the major additions they've made on the interior of their defensive line this offseason.

Jets make no-brainer decision on DT Mazi Smith's fifth-year option

The Jets put an emphasis on overhauling their interior defensive line room this offseason, making some major additions after dealing away Williams last year.

First, they made a trade at the NFL Scouting Combine that brought in former Tennessee Titans defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat while cutting ties with former first-round pick Jermaine Johnson.

Sweat figures to play a major role as the Jets' primary nose tackle in 2026. The 6-foot-4, 362-pound Sweat will hopefully be a key contributor in turning around New York's poor run defense. In 2025, he was Pro Football Focus's fifth-best defensive tackle, despite only playing 380 defensive snaps.

In free agency, the Jets added former Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle David Onyemata, another key rotational member of New York's new-look defensive line. He was PFF's eighth-highest graded interior defensive lineman in 2025.

Finally, in the draft, the Jets selected Florida State defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr., another big body to add to their rotation. At 6-foot-5, 337 pounds, he graded out as PFF's 65th-best run defender in college football last season.

He may not play a lot right away, but he has the potential to develop into a future player for New York.

All this to say, there really is no role for Smith to play for the Jets in 2026, and that's not even factoring in the in-house options like Jowon Briggs and Harrison Phillips.

With the way things are currently constructed, Smith will probably be hoping to latch on to another team's roster heading into the 2026 season.

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