Jaylon Smith: Round-by-Round Updates, Twitter Reaction in 2016 NFL Draft

It wasn’t that long ago that Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith was considered one of the elite prospects in the 2016 draft class and a potential top-five pick.   

Unfortunately, that all came crashing down when he suffered a knee injury that required surgery in his team’s Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State on New Year’s Day. While that injury cost him the chance to be a first-round pick during Thursday’s NFL draft, he was still a consensus All-American who could be worth the wait in the long run.

However, Tom Pelissero of USA Today noted Smith’s “peroneal nerve remains asleep, leaving him unable to lift his left foot or swing it out to the side.” Pelissero said the issue will likely keep the former Notre Dame standout off the field for the entire 2016 campaign, which left him as too risky of a pick for teams in Round 1.

Once he is healthy, he will look to return to the overwhelming production that made him a top-notch prospect at one point. His NFL.com draft profile highlighted the fact he won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker and led the Fighting Irish with 113 tackles, with nine coming for a loss. He also led Notre Dame in tackles the previous campaign.

Smith’s name was not called on Thursday, so it is now natural to wonder when a team will select him.

Chris Emma of 670 The Score in Chicago believes Smith’s fall will be a predominant storyline in the second …

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