Dallas Cowboys' first-round rookie Mazi Smith has made it clear: He likes to hit people.

But for Cowboys fans excited to watch him play for the first time, it's difficult to evaluate just how well he is performing that task from the TV broadcast angle. After all, a nose tackle's job can be pretty messy as sometimes it's all about occupying blockers. The flashy plays go to the edge rushers and yes, sometimes, the three-technique defensive tackles. It's easy to miss the highlights of a nose tackle.

Upon further review, Mazi's preseason opener had some good and bad. Playing against the Jacksonville Jaguars' first-team offense allowed us to get a look at him facing NFL-caliber starters. The biggest takeaway? Power.

"I thought he did some really powerful things there in the A-gaps that I'm looking for in the anchor," the Cowboys head coach told reporters. 

That's always been Smith's best attribute. He's a freakish athlete with top-tier strength. Even as a rookie, he could very well be the Cowboys' strongest player today even if he said it was Tyron Smith earlier in training camp. He showed that off by getting a lot of movement at contact and even moving double-teams with apparent ease at times.

Sure, Smith has one tackle in the stat sheet which doesn't seem to be a whole lot. However, it's simply not his primary job to put up big numbers but rather free up teammates and eat space.

One of the most fun takeaways from watching the rookie's NFL debut is how and where Dan Quinn lined him up. Coming into the game, I wondered if we would just see him head up on the center or on his shoulder or if the Cowboys would utilize Mazi from a wider alignment.

They did exactly that in more than one rep, which goes to show you that Quinn's love for hybrid players applies to the defensive line just as much as it does to linebackers and safeties. Smith helped stop a run near the end zone while lined up on the inside shoulder of the Jaguars' offensive tackle.

"It's been obvious when he and (Johnathan Hankins) are in the game together, it's obvious it's different, your run defense is definitely a little different," McCarthy said, hinting at the possibility of having two nose tackles on the field in certain situations.

However, it was not all good for Smith. One of the biggest criticisms circling the former Michigan Wolverine since the draft process has been all about his explosiveness out of his stance. That cost him a few reps against the Jaguars.

"I think Mazi would fall in that category of a young player, it was his first NFL game," McCarthy added. "He had some ups and downs, I think he did some really nice things."

McCarthy admitted that it's clear what opponents want to do against the loaded Cowboys defense: Run on them. With a ravenous pass rush and a sturdy secondary, that's the way to go against Dan Quinn's unit until proven otherwise.

Mazi Smith was drafted to make opponents regret making that choice.

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The rookie is turning heads.

Featured image via Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports