Getty Ex-Cowboys LB Jaylon Smith.
Well, that didn’t take long.
After being elevated to the New York Giants‘ active roster for a Week 15 revenge game against his former team, linebacker Jaylon Smith has been signed to the G-Men’s 53-man roster. The move, which was first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on December 20, comes just one day after Smith registered four tackles on 17 defensive snaps against the Dallas Cowboys in his Giants debut.
Originally signed to the Giants practice squad on December 17, Smith’s career totals include 521 tackles (321 solo), 9.0 sacks, two interceptions and six fumble recoveries. A former second-round pick by Dallas back in 2016, Smith battled back from a serious knee injury in his final collegiate game at Notre Dame to establish himself as a Cowboys mainstay, or at least that looked to be the case.
Smith’s Fall From Dominance
From 2018-2020, Smith accounted for the sixth-most tackles in all of football and earned his first career Pro Bowl nod. His 254 tackles over that span were just 20 less than Giants standout Blake Martinez. In August of 2019, the Cowboys rewarded Smith for his efforts by inking him to a five-year, $64 million contract with $35.5 million guaranteed. However, Smith’s star quickly began to fall after his lucrative payday. The Indiana native struggled more and more with missed tackles and lapses in coverage. Dallas ultimately decided to sever ties with Smith on October 6 after he was passed on the depth chart by rookie phenom Micah Parsons.
Still, Smith’s first taste of free agency garnered plenty of rumored interest from a number of playoff contenders. Just one day after his release, Smith latched on with the Green Bay Packers. Yet, his time in Wisconsin lasted all of 27 snaps, as he failed to separate himself from the likes of De’Vondre Campbell and Krys Barnes in the Packers’ linebacker rotation. The team cut Smith less than one month after his initial signing, leaving him on the free agency market with little-to-no public bites before the Giants decided to scoop him.
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Smith’s Chances of Earning a 2022 Roster Spot
Now in New York, Smith will have the next three games to build his case as to why he should stick around for next season. While he may never recapture his early-career form, the good news for Smith is that he’s facing favorable competition with the Giants.
After just one game, he’s already chomping at the heels of Bernardrick McKinney, logging just three fewer snaps than the former Texans defender in the loss to Dallas. Reggie Ragland is an impending free agent and hasn’t done much to warrant anything more than another one-year deal on backup money. Tae Crowder, while leading the Giants in tackles (108), continues to be an analytic travesty, boasting a horrendous 29.1 overall Pro Football Focus grade this season.
The aforementioned Blake Martinez will be returning from his torn ACL to man his rightful spot in the middle of the Giants’ defense next season. However, as for who plays alongside him, that remains to be seen. If Smith can string together a few solid performances to close out the year, he could easily toss his name into the mix.