Former first-round pick Mazi Smith could become one of the Jets' biggest surprise cuts

Former first-round pick Mazi Smith could become one of the Jets' biggest surprise cuts. New York acquired Smith in the midseason Quinnen Williams trade with Dallas, but his place on the initial 53 is far from secure. Smith missed valuable training camp time due to injury before returning to practice recently. He returned to action against Pittsburgh and recorded 2 tackles, but has struggled to climb a revamped defensive line depth chart. ESPN's latest Jets projection leaves Smith off the roster after New York declined his fifth-year option earlier this offseason. Smith was the No. 26 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Entering his fourth season, he is fighting just to hang onto an NFL roster spot.