Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith is still recovering from the knee injury that forced him down 2016 draft boards and caused him to miss the entirety of his rookie season, but he’s confident he’ll be ready for the 2017 season opener, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).
Smith is still using a brace for his drop foot condition, and it’s unclear if he’ll be forced to wear it during the regular season, tweets Charean Williams of the Star Telegram. Ultimately, the brace use will depend on the condition of Smith’s nerve, which is reportedly regenerating. If Smith is required to wear the brace for drop foot, he’d be the first NFL player to do so.
“At the end of the day, we’re very optimistic about where [Smith] is at this point,” said Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones, per Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). “I think if anything, we think he’s starting to make a lot bigger jumps than we even might have thought he could have when he first got here last year and heading into the season.”
In his final season at Notre Dame, Smith compiled 115 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble. Prior to his unfortunate injury, Smith was widely projected as a top 10 pick in the 2016 draft. Instead, he fell to the Cowboys in the second round. If he’s able to make a recovery, Dallas’ risk could pay major dividends in 2017.