Packers Add Former First-Rounder Mazi Smith to Practice Squad

Mazi Smith is on the move again. The Packers are signing the former Cowboys first-round pick to their practice squad, per a report from ESPN's Rob Demovsky — the latest stop in a career that's been nothing but stops and starts since Dallas took him 26th overall in 2023.

The résumé is thin for a player drafted that high. Smith spent two and a half seasons in Dallas before getting shipped to the Jets in the deal that sent Quinnen Williams the other way. He suited up for just three games with New York last season, then landed one game in Miami this year — nine defensive snaps, no stats to show for it. Green Bay is now team number four since last offseason.

So why bother? The Packers clearly saw something on tape worth a developmental flyer. That's what practice squads are for — low-risk reclamation projects on defensive linemen who still have the draft pedigree even if the production never followed. For a 26th overall pick to be available for a practice-squad deal tells you how far the stock has fallen.

The Fantasy Fallout

Let's be blunt: this is a non-event for your roster. Smith isn't rostered in any format that matters, and a practice-squad signing doesn't change that. IDP managers chasing interior defensive line production won't find any here — the man has nine career snaps this season and nothing in the box score to mark them.

The only reason to even log this move is the long game. If Smith carves out a rotational role on Green Bay's defensive front over the coming weeks, deep-league IDP players might eventually have a reason to peek. That's a big if, and it's not happening this Sunday.

Verdict: file it under watch-and-ignore. There's no add here, no start, no stash. Keep your waiver bid for a player who's actually on a field. If Smith ever gets elevated and starts eating snaps that lead to tackles, we'll revisit — but for now he's a name, not a play.