When the Dallas Cowboys spent the 34th overall pick in last week’s NFL draft on former Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith, it was all about the future.
Considered one of the top all-around players in the draft class, Smith suffered a terrible knee injury in the Fiesta Bowl back in January.
The injury itself was bad enough, but reports surfacing during the pre-draft process indicating that Smith might have suffered nerve damage to the knee was definitely cause for alarm.
Missing an extended period of time is one thing. Finding yourself in a situation where your long-term viability as a NFL player is called into question is a completely different thing.
With no real idea of where he might end up going in the draft, Smith heard his name called at the top of the second round. It was a real win for the linebacker.
Now, a few days after making the surprising selection, the Cowboys are fully prepared for Smith to sit out his entire rookie season:
Cowboys Exec VP Stephen Jones on Mike and Mike right now says they are prepared for LB Jaylon Smith to sit out for the entire year.
— Jason Romano (@JasonRomano) May 4, 2016
This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. There were reports prior to the draft that Smith would definitely be out for the entire 2016 season, if not longer.
Instead, Stephen Jones’ comments make it more official. The Cowboys were solely drafting for the future, not the 2016 campaign, when they selected Smith.
This is definitely going to be a story to keep up on. Smith was considered one of the top-three overall players in the draft prior to his knee injury.
If he’s ever able to return to form, the Cowboys picked up a gem here. If not, the team would have wasted a top-40 pick.