Dallas Cowboys Jaylon Smith blocks out his critics

Former Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith is likely the fourth linebacker in the Dallas Cowboys’ rotation. He’s been the subject of recent trade scenarios in the media but that doesn’t mean he’s letting his critics off the hook.

After the Cowboys drafted Micah Parsons and Jabril Cox in the first and fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, his job security was already uncertain.

Add in the fact that Cowboys’ linebacker Leighton Van Der Esch is 100 percent healthy and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn singing his praises. Things don’t look the brightest for Smith’s future in Dallas.

The criticism of his skills has been amped up recently and he’s making sure everyone knows that he’s going to tune it out.

“I mean, I don’t care who you are, you’re going to have criticism,” Smith said, via ESPN. “Michael Jordan had criticism. LeBron James, some of the best players in the world have criticism. That’s just a part of the game. But you got to control what you can control. And for me, it’s just focused on my development and becoming a better player.”

Over his four-year NFL career with the Cowboys, Smith has racked up over 300 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, and two interceptions. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2020.

Devastating Knee Injury

In college, Smith suffered a devastating knee injury in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State. He suffered a torn ACL in his knee and also nerve damage. Many people at the time believed the injury was career-threatening.

Some NFL scouts believed before his injury he was a top-10 selection in the draft, but he fell all the way to the 34th overall pick. Bill Huber of Forbes talked about how much money the injury cost Smith in an article.

“Instead, he fell to No. 34, where he was selected by the Dallas Cowboys. Smith signed a four-year, $6.495 million contract. Had Smith gone, say, No. 7 overall, he would have signed a four-year contract worth $18.191 million. That deal would have included $11.4 million of guaranteed money – almost $5 million more than the total value of Smith’s contract.”

Smith’s return from the injury and the fact that he’s been able to play football in the NFL are an incredible story, regardless of where he ends up.

Jaylon Smith Notre Dame stats

In the 2015-2016 season, Smith racked up 115 tackles for Notre Dame, including nine tackles for loss, and one sack. In 2014, he led the Fighting Irish in total tackles with 112. He also became the first Irish player to rack up 100 tackles in a season since Manti Te’o had 113 in 2012.