Cowboys' Stephen Jones wonders how effective Jaylon Smith can be with a brace

The Dallas Cowboys have needs all over their defense. Four starting-caliber defensive backs are set to hit free agency, the pass rush is a mess and the interior defensive line isn’t exactly stout. One position that’s getting overlooked is linebacker, and for good reason.

Jaylon Smith, who missed all of 2016 due to a knee injury suffered in his last game at Notre Dame, figures to play a huge role next season at middle linebacker. A tandem of Smith and Sean Lee is something Cowboys fans have dreamed of for months, and it’s likely to happen in 2017. It just remains to be seen how effective Smith can be.

Executive vice president Stephen Jones discussed Smith’s rehab and future on Tuesday night, and he sounded a bit more guarded than he previously was.

“We think he’s going to be real effective, but how effective remains to be seen, and that’s why I think it’s difficult to say, ‘Well, we expect him to be the dominant player he was at Notre Dame.’ That’s probably high expectations. Is it possible? Absolutely,” Jones said, via the Star-Telegram.

The issue that Smith is facing is the fact that he’ll likely have to play with a brace for a condition called “drop foot,” which stems from his significant knee injury. The brace helps him lift his foot and control it, though it’s still not an ideal situation.

The Cowboys are still confident Smith will be a key contributor next season, but it’s certainly concerning that he’ll likely have to do so with a brace on his foot – one of the first players in NFL history to do so.

“I think the sky’s the limit,” Jones said. “I think he’s got a great opportunity, if he keeps on his current path, to be a dominant player for us. Now to say I expect that when he’s not there yet? That’s tough to have that expectation. But I think we do expect him to contribute and be a big part of our defense this year. The question is how physically well he gets by the start of next season in terms of some of what he still has hampering him somewhat. But our guys are convinced he can play in his current condition, and it should only improve as we go.”