Dallas Cowboys: Jaylon Smith Rehabbing for Return at OTAs (Video)

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith missed all of the 2016 season due to a knee injury suffered in college, but his return is looking imminent.

One player who could help the Dallas Cowboys take the next step from their 13-3 regular season and one-game stint in the playoffs is Jaylon Smith. Smith, a second-round selection from Notre Dame, didn’t play a single snap all season for the Cowboys after suffering a devastating knee injury in his final game for Notre Dame.

That injury cost him an early first-round selection, but the Cowboys took a chance on him in the second round. Since then, he’s promised to return to action and has been rehabbing from the injury—including hoping for nerve regeneration after he suffered nerve damage in the knee.

Just this week, Smith began showing his progression by sharing video of his position drill work he’s taken part in during his rehab, clearly showing him being able to make cuts and stutter stepping in coverage.

In a second video posted by AWP Sports, Smith is shown working on sprinting, which as a linebacker will be very helpful. This is another solid sign for the linebacker in his rehab.

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Since this will be Smith’s rookie season—that is, if he is cleared to play in 2017—he brings instant improvement to a Cowboys defense that showed in the playoffs it still has some missing parts, though the unit improved from the 2015 season.

Smith’s final collegiate season was in 2015 as a junior at Notre Dame. On the year, he totaled 115 tackles (69 solo), nine tackles for a loss, one sack and one forced fumble. Those numbers and his overall athleticism made him a projected first-round pick before his injury in the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State.

The plus for Smith is the nerve damage suffered in the Fiesta Bowl is regenerating, as stated in an article by Adam Grosbard of DallasNews.com:

"“In January, he announced that the nerve he damaged in the injury is regenerating and he has been sharing videos of some of his offseason workouts.”"

The Cowboys did have two linebackers this past season in Sean Lee (5) and Anthony Hitchens (47) graded in the Top 50 by Pro Football Focus. However, it is evident there was someone missing from that defense who could one day be up in the ranks of Lee if healthy, and that is Smith.

Though the Cowboys have others returning at linebacker, Lee is honestly the lone linebacker who has sealed his starting spot for the 2017 season, so that leaves room for Smith to compete once cleared. Again, the Cowboys did have improvement on their defense this past season, but there is still a lot of work ahead if they want to advance after making the playoffs.

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Considering all that has occurred with Smith in the past year, and the fact his rehab seems to be going as well as it can at this point, now it is just playing the waiting game and keeping the patience needed for Smith to heal and become 100 percent healthy. Once that occurs, the Cowboys 2016 draft could go down as one of the greatest, considering the success already had by Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott in their first seasons.