Jaylon Smith isn’t the same player he was in 2017. The Cowboys linebacker is close to being the same player he was in 2015 before a significant knee injury in his final game at Notre Dame.
“Everything has been a part of the plan, part of the process,” Smith said, via Gil LeBreton of DFW’s sptspage.com. “Just growing and continuing to get better each and every day. That clear eye view has gotten me here . . . and faith. These guys believe in me, and we’re seeing great things.”
Smith’s return to the linebacker he once was has the Cowboys as excited as any other development in training camp. Their linebacking corps could rank among the best if the NFL if Smith, Sean Lee and Leighton Vander Esch all stay healthy.
Of course, everyone knows Lee’s injury history, and Vander Esch has had nagging injuries that have affected his practice time since he arrived.
Injuries to Lee and Anthony Hitchens last season kept Smith on the field too long. He played 55 percent of the snaps while still recovering from ACL and LCL tears in his left knee that left him with damage to his peroneal nerve. It was the second-most snaps at the position behind Lee.
“We probably threw him in there too soon last year,” defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli said. “We had injuries, and we probably played him too much. But he never stopped working hard.”
Smith celebrated just getting back on the field last season, beating the odds some gave him. He feels “more confident, fluid and accountable” this season.
