Jaylon Smith to Cowboys: Twitter Reacts as LB Is Selected in 2016 NFL Draft

The Dallas Cowboys landed a top-10 talent early in the second round with pick No. 34 in the form of Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Jaylon Smith. The only problem is that injuries may keep him off the field for the foreseeable future.

Smith led Notre Dame in tackles in each of the last two years and won the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker in 2015. However, Tom Pelissero of USA Today noted he will likely miss the entire 2016 season because his "peroneal nerve remains asleep, leaving him unable to lift his left foot or swing it out to the side."

"He may not [play football] this year," Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones said, per the Star-Telegram's Clarence Hill. "What he is ultimately going to be he is definitely worth our 2nd round pick."

Hill provided some more insight on the deliberation process that preceded Smith's selection:

Still, he was a high-profile selection from a marquee school for the Cowboys, and social media immediately reacted:

The Cowboys welcomed him to the team:

So did Dallas' first-round pick from Thursday, running back Ezekiel Elliott:

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports and Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated thought Smith's talent made the pick worthwhile:

Adam Schefter of ESPN shared the fact that the Cowboys medical staff is familiar with the linebacker:

Smith had some welcome news for Cowboys fans, per Dane Brugler of CBS Sports:

Barton Simmons of 247Sports recognized that Smith has been incredibly talented since before his Notre Dame days:

Here is the best of the rest:

While there was legitimate joy for some that a player like Smith had the chance to hear his name called early in the draft, many also pointed to his overwhelming talent. Even if he doesn't play next year for Dallas, he could develop into an All-Pro player if he lives up to his potential, which would make the one-year waiting period worth it.

The Cowboys could have gone with UCLA's Myles Jack, but the medical staff is familiar with Smith—and the front office must have liked what it saw on film. Smith was a star at Notre Dame and will have a chance to become one for Dallas in the NFL.