The Dallas Cowboys are in the midst of a defensive line debacle after they were gashed on the ground by Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday.
Part of their unit is their 2023 first-round pick, Mazi Smith, who was drafted to be a big-bodied run stopper in the middle of the line. However, he has been nothing short of a bust as he was one of the team's gameday inactives despite being healthy.
To make things hurt even more for the Cowboys, they came so close to drafting an offensive lineman who is trending toward being one of the best in the league for the Atlanta Falcons.
Cowboys are sorely regretting drafting Mazi Smith over Falcons' ascending star
The Falcons traded up in the second round of the 2023 Draft to select offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron out of Syracuse.
This has turned into a slam-dunk pick as the Canadian has turned into a star on the opposite side of the league's best guard, Chris Lindstrom.
And to think they came so close to never having a chance at the lineman...
The Cowboys held the 26th pick that year, and they had honed in on two players, Mazi Smith and Matt Bergeron.
Jerry Jones and his crew ultimately selected the Michigan defensive tackle, and to say they regret it just two years later would be an understatement.
The six-foot-three, 340-pound tackle was inactive in the first game of the 2025 season against an Eagles team that they knew would run the ball ad nauseam. If that doesn't scream "bust," then I don't know what does.
Smith has started just 20 games and registered two sacks and seven tackles for loss in two years.
Meanwhile, Bergeron has started every game (34) and has played nearly every snap (2,234) for the Falcons' offense.
At the time, the Cowboys could've used Bergeron, and while their line is solid now, they could've landed productive players at other positions in the previous two drafts.
Nevertheless, the Falcons aren't complaining. Bergeron has been everything they thought they were getting, plus more. He has remained remarkably healthy, while also improving every week.