There has been an assumption since the 2016 draft that Linebacker Jaylon Smith, if he could overcome his college knee injury, would eventually take over as a defensive star for the Dallas Cowboys. 2018 has been the target for that emergence, but is it fair to expect so much already?
After spending all of his rookie season rehabbing, Smith debuted in 2017 as the NFL equivalent of a “redshirt” player in college. The best news from his season was health; Jaylon played in all 16 games and appeared to have no setbacks with his knee.
The reviews of his actual play, though, were not as stellar.
Jaylon struggled early in the year, more than many had hoped.
Remember, this is a kid many felt would be a top-five talent in that 2016 draft class. He likely would’ve gone in those early picks, if not for the injury. Those players are expected to hit the ground running, and Smith had the benefit of an entire year of professional coaching even as he was sidelined and rehabbing.
That’s only one side of the missed year, though. It would be unfair to expect Jaylon to have all the benefits of the coaching without time on the field to put it into practice. There’s only so much that watching and listening can teach; applying what you’ve learned is a key step in the development process.
So yes, Jaylon was a still a rookie in many ways last year. What’s more, he had the rust from an entire year spent off a football field.
That excuse is valid for 2017, but should it still apply now?
Dallas will assuredly give Jaylon all of the practice reps he can take this offseason, and almost certainly with the first-team defense. Even if the team re-signs free agent Anthony Hitchens, the job is still Smith’s to lose.
Ever since the days of Bill Parcells in Dallas, the idea of “Year Three” being critical in player development has stuck with us. Parcells once indicated that a player shows you his true self in this season, for good or bad.
It may not be fair to apply that same logic to Jaylon Smith in 2018. This is only his second year in a way, and at the least is not the typical third season that most players have when entering the NFL.
Still, those “elite” expectations hang over Jaylon now and forever.
He was taken 34th overall, at the top of the second round, because the Cowboys were willing to gamble on that knee for the potential payoff of a special talent.
With Sean Lee turning 32 in July, Jaylon Smith is expected to soon take over as the next captain of the Cowboys defense. It may not need to be this year, but Smith will still need to be more asset than liability this season to avoid becoming an easy target for criticism.
The uncertainty is why Dallas will likely try to bring back Hitchens, who at the least could be a valuable, versatile backup at all three positions. He could keep starting if Jaylon isn’t ready, or take over mid-season if Smith gets hurt or struggles.
Dallas should give Jaylon Smith every opportunity to become a star this year.
He should get those offseason reps with the starters and, barring a major setback, start in week 1. The potential is still there, having been flashed several times last season, but given everything, the Cowboys should definitely hedge their bet with Anthony Hitchens or some other solid reserve option.
The #1 priority should be to resign Hitchens because he’s just as important to this defense as is Sean Lee because of his versatility and Sean Lee’s always on and off health issues. Jaylon was a liability in pass coverage which led to more time for Damien Wilson and Anthony Hitchens. The talent is definitely there, all the other intangibles will follow if he sees and understand tape of what he did well and didnt do well
I think a Cowboys trainer said Smith would be full tilt next year. I was surprised to see the speed at near 100% last year. His issues were mental IMO and I also think much of that will get knocked down for 2018. The intensity and motor are all there, he just needs reps and proper deployment.
I still think because of what would be a fearsome combination of size and speed in the secondary, Smith should try some downs at SS in camp. Not saying it will definitely work, only that he could be a monster there if it did. Otherwise I’d try an LT role and look at that. Taylor was allowed to roam the box & choose his spot to attack the backfield from. Pretty hard on an OL when the LB has that kind of speed. You have to shift around the double-teams to wherever he goes.
I think they will draft someone in the mid rounds and maybe sign a low priced free agent as insurance, but I think they are going full speed ahead with Jaylon at Mike.
That being said, it wouldn’t surprise me to see them trade up in the draft to get Roquon or Tremaine Edwards to pair with Jaylon given Lee’s age.
I believe Jaylon will take the next step after a full season and another offseason under his belt. With that being said, I strongly believe that we NEED to resign hitchens. Jaylon showed that he was more productive towards the end of the season when splitting reps. When you take into account Sean Lee’s age and injury history, it might make sense to look at running with a rotation of LBs. That’s where Hitchens becomes so valuable. He has been a consistent high level player on our defense since he was drafted. He’s been asked to play all three spots and he’s done so well. If you can keep jaylon and Sean Lee healthy and fresh and have the consistency of Hitchens, it gives our defense it’s best chance to perform at a high level.