Jaylon Smith to Make Professional Debut vs. Colts After Knee Injury

Jaylon Smith will get his first taste of live NFL game action Saturday when the Dallas Cowboys clash with the Indianapolis Colts. 

According to Nick Eatman of the Cowboys' official website, owner Jerry Jones confirmed Tuesday the 2016 second-round pick will be in uniform for the exhibition showdown.  

The news has been a long time coming for Smith, who suffered a torn ACL, MCL and nerve damage in his knee during Notre Dame's 2016 Fiesta Bowl tilt against Ohio State. 

Despite the severity of Smith's injury, the Cowboys opted to stop his draft-day slide last April and selected him 34th overall. 

The Fighting Irish product proceeded to sit out the entirety of his rookie season, and he's steadily worked his way back to full strength over the past 16 months. 

"I can't remember the last time I had pain in my knee or my foot," Smith said after a July practice, per the Dallas Morning News' Brandon George. "My knee feels 100 percent. I can hop on one leg."

Assuming Smith can stay healthy through the remainder of the preseason, he should enter the regular season a candidate to take rotational snaps at middle linebacker as a run-stopping specialist on early downs.