Jaylon Smith NFL Draft 2016: Scouting Report, Grade for Cowboys Rookie

POSITIVES

The top-ranked player in the draft class at the time of his knee injury in the Fiesta Bowl, if Jaylon Smith can return to the player he was at Notre Dame, he’ll be special in the NFL.

A gifted three-down player, Smith was asked to play all over the field for the Fighting Irish. He lined up in the middle of the field, coming off the edge, and even split out to cover slot receivers. Smith was able to have success at every level thanks to unbelievable movement skills, closing speed and instincts. His change-of-direction skills would have been tops in the linebacker corps before injury.

An explosive tackler, Smith runs through the ball-carrier and brings heat with him. In the season opener against Texas, he split 250-pound quarterback Tyrone Swoopes in half with a punishing open-field tackle. Smith is an instinctive, heady player who puts himself in the right place at the right time and is rarely out of position. When he does make the wrong read, he’s fast enough to recover and attack the ball in a chase situation.

A true sideline-to-sideline linebacker, Smith’s range and tackling radius are tops in the class. When unleashed as a coverage man or pass-rusher, he made a similar impact. A healthy Smith would have been the top player in the class. As it stands, his grade is a best-case scenario assuming he’s back on the field in 2017.

NEGATIVES

Smith was pushed from behind while going out of bounds during the Fiesta Bowl and suffered injuries to his ACL and LCL. There have been reports and speculation that this led to nerve damage in the knee, but those reports have not been confirmed by Smith or his doctors. There is a cloud of speculation hanging over Smith’s injury, with no definitive word on if or when he’ll play again.

Some doctors may believe he’ll be back for the 2017 season, while others may feel there was nerve damage and his return is too risky for their team to invest in.

Looking at Smith’s on-field weaknesses, he struggled before 2015 to be a solid wrap-up tackler and often looked for the big shot instead of the sure thing. He relied on speed to get him to the ball in space and could stand to take cleaner angles with straighter lines to the ball-carrier.

COMBINE RESULTS

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 223 lbs.

40 Time: Injury (did not participate)

3-Cone: Injury (did not participate)

Short Shuttle: Injury (did not participate)

PRO COMPARISON: Patrick Willis, retired
FINAL GRADE: 7.90/9.00 (Round 1—Pro Bowl Potential)