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Atlanta Falcons 2016 Scouting Report: LB Jaylon Smith

By Eric Robinson

Nov 14, 2015; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Jaylon Smith (9) celebrates in the second quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won 28-7. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 14, 2015; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Jaylon Smith (9) celebrates in the second quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won 28-7. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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Prior to the 2016 Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Day, the probability of seeing arguably the most talented linebacker in the nation, Jaylon Smith of Notre Dame, as a member of the Atlanta Falcons was more of a pipe dream instead of an actual occurrence. The devastating injury suffered by Smith in that Fiesta Bowl (torn ACL and LCL) impacted his draft stock at the snap of a finger. He went from a likely top 10 selection to possibly falling to the late portion of the first round and possibly a second round selection. His talent is evident and with his stock in the range of Atlanta at 17th overall, it’s worth taking a look at the linebacker closely.

LB Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame

Height: 6’2

Weight: 235 lbs

Strengths: It’s impossible to throw on film of Smith and not automatically be drawn to his athleticism. In terms of just pure athleticism, there may not even be a handful of players that are more athletic than Smith in the entire 2016 draft. Plenty of fluidity in his hips and your elite “sideline to sideline” defender. With that athleticism comes sharp instincts and excellent football IQ. Smith has the ability to be impactful at the “Will” linebacker spot as well as the “Mike” linebacker position, which can be key in the 4-3 Under scheme in Atlanta. His speed is hard to ignore as well as his explosiveness at the snap. He is about as sound and dependable as a tackler as you can get at the linebacker position. Smith has proven to be steady in man coverage, displaying the ability to line up in the slot against tight ends and slot receivers. When sent on a blitz, regardless if it’s straight up the middle or off the edge, Smith gets there quickly enough to impact the play. Back-to-back seasons of 100+ tackles (111 tackles, nine TFLs, 3.5 sacks in 2014, 114 tackles, nine TFLs, 1 sack, five pass deflections).

Here is Smith’s film vs. Texas in 2015. A general scope of his explosiveness, speed, instincts, versatility, and tackling ability.

Weaknesses: Smith’s athletic frame can use an extra 8-10 pounds. At 235 pounds, Smith is prone to be engulfed by offensive linemen. Smith has not shown consistent ability to produce block-shedding techniques. His sideline to sideline ability is a blessing as well as a curse as he has the speed to outrun blockers but he also can get trapped by the “trash” and find if difficult to disengage from blockers. Every now and then when watching his film, you can also see Smith over-pursue which can open up running lanes for backs with solid cutback ability. Also, the major knee injury is a big question mark as his rehab timetable could make him a candidate for either missing a chunk of 2016 or all if possible.

Bottom line: When healthy, Smith is the best linebacker in the draft. There is little debate about that. However, his knee injury is the big elephant in the room at the moment and has caused him to take a slide down most draft boards. At 17th overall, Smith could very well be sitting there waiting for Atlanta to give him an opportunity. The question is, come draft time, where will he be in his rehab? Could Quinn and the front office take a calculated risk that could provide them a possible top five player in the draft? Only time will tell.