Jaylon Smith #9, DAL LB

#bio:

Jaylon Smith is a linebacker for Dallas, drafted in the 2nd round (#34 overall) out of Notre Dame in the 2016 draft. He was a Consensus All-American in 2015 and considered a Top 10 talent in the 2016 draft but slipped due to long-term concerns with his knee.

attributes:

An athletic, every down 5th-year linebacker with playmaking ability in all phases of the game. He has average size, and his tape shows high-end athleticism for his position (he missed the combine due to a knee injury). He has a high College Prospect Score (CPS) despite several key inputs into the model being unavailable.

player grade:

He was one of the better all-around linebackers in the league in 2018 and 2019 (I think the poor 2020 was due to a poor scheme change), per PFF.com. He is generally strong in both run and passing defense, as well as a pass rusher.

Year	Overall	Run Defense	Pass Rush	Coverage
2016	–	–	–	–
2017	69.4	53.5	90.5	73.0
2018	84.0	73.4	84.8	79.8
2019	70.2	81.3	68.3	60.8
2020	54.2	47.1	64.0	64.4

injury:

Smith essentially red-shirted his rookie year to rehab his injured knee. He hasn’t missed a game since 2016.

tackles:

He has improved his tackle totals every year and had a career year for combined tackles in 2020. Expect some regression in 2021, but he has a solid floor in fantasy.

Year	SOLO	AST	COMBINED
2016	–	–	–
2017	50	31	81
2018	82	39	121
2019	83	59	142
2020	89	65	154

big plays:

Smith is a strong tackler but doesn’t make a lot of big plays otherwise. Therefore, his upside is limited outside of tackle-heavy leagues.

Year	SACK	STF	INT	PD	FF	FR
2016	–	–	–	–	–	–
2017	1.0	3	0	2	2	0
2018	4.0	6	0	4	2	2
2019	2.5	6	1	9	2	1
2020	1.5	5	1	5	0	2

contract:

Smith signed a 5 year, $64 million contract extension in 2019. Dallas has a potential out in 2022. He is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in 2025 (Age 31)

summary:

Jaylon Smith is a jack of all trades and an every-down linebacker. There are rumors that Smith could be cut after a down 2020, but this seems ridiculous. The scheme change in 2020 was the issue, not Smith’s game. Dallas also has a potential out in 2022, so they have another year to evaluate his play. If he plays poorly this year, it is a realistic option that he is released in 2022 after drafting Micah Parsons in the first round.

Smith is one of the most talented linebackers in the league. His play should bounce back this year, but some regression in fantasy is likely. Nevertheless, expect him to compete for a Top 10 LB finish in 2021 and dynasty.