Dallas Cowboys: Jaylon Smith selected 34th overall

The Dallas Cowboys are either geniuses or made the biggest mistake in a long time by selecting Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith with the 34th overall selection, the third pick in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Jaylon Smith could be the best player in this draft if he’s able to get back to where he once was before injuring his knee (tore his ACL and MCL), as this is quite the investment (or gamble) for the Cowboys because there is no way Smith makes it to the field this season, making this his “red-shirt season.”

The former Notre Dame linebacker is 6-2, 223 pounds, and before that injury at the Fiesta Bowl he was very highly regarded by draft experts. The Cowboys had an ace in their pocket as their team physician was the doctor who did the surgery to repair the knee of Smith, so maybe they have more info than most?

Smith’s NFL.com draft profile describes him perfectly when speaking of his bottom line:

"“Smith is the rare commodity who is truly hybrid in the sense that he has the athleticism, speed and physical makeup to play any linebacker spot in either the 3-4 or the 4-3. Smith was productive but slightly miscast in the middle of the Notre Dame defense and is better suited to play in space as a 4-3 outside linebacker.”"

Being that he was unable to work out at the combine this February or even have a pro day, all there is to go off of with Smith is his film, and it is very impressive. Some draft experts had him rated as the best linebacker in this draft before his unfortunate injury against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl off a block by Taylor Decker, who was drafted in the first round by the Detroit Lions on Thursday night.

Smith is also described as a “high character person,” and the Cowboys could really use that as well on their roster after the fiasco of Greg Hardy last season.

Before the draft, Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune wrote this of the outside linebacker and his recovery process:

"“His optimism stems from progress in his rehabilitation. He began running three weeks ago. He must wear a brace to help his foot while the nerve regenerates. Whether the nerve will is the great unknown. Smith has made peace with the patience required for the end result.”"

In his final collegiate season, Smith was close to unstoppable with 115 total tackles (69 solo), and of those tackles, nine were for a loss. He also had one sack and five passes defensed, so the Cowboys have a potentially great player if he can be what he once was.

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In his three seasons with the Fighting Irish, Smith totaled 284 tackles, (23.5 for a loss) 4.5 sacks and 10 passes defensed. With those stats, Smith became a consensus All-American and a Dick Butkus Award winner.

Currently, the outside linebackers for the Cowboys consist of Anthony Hitchens, Sean Lee, Kyle Wilber and Damien Wilson as their top four on the depth chart, so if the Cowboys can make it through this season, this could be not just a steal, but the ultimate bank robbery, even more than last season when they drafted Randy Gregory in the second round.

To be honest, this is a gamble by the Cowboys, but I really like this selection (though it did catch me off guard) for the potential reward Smith can bring to the Cowboys’ defense. If Smith gets to the point where he’s healthy, there is your new leader of the defense for at least a decade.

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Every player drafted is a risk in some way, and with the Cowboys and Jerry Jones, they sure did take a chance on Friday night, one that, if it pays off, will be the jackpot of all draft picks in this draft.

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