Jaylon Smith: Notre Dame LB likely to declare for NFL Draft
Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Jaylon Smith is leaning toward declaring for the 2016 NFL Draft.
In a move that won’t come as much of a surprise, Notre Dame junior linebacker Jaylon Smith is expected to declare for the 2016 NFL Draft, according to NFL Media’s Rand Getlin.
This isn’t a surprise because Smith is widely considered the best linebacker in college football and a potential top-10 pick.
And top-10 may be a bit conservative, because Smith is the do-it-all type of linebacker that could result in him being one of the first five picks. In fact, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Smith as his top outside linebacker and the No. 2 overall prospect in his latest big board.
Smith should be able to start right away in a 4-3 defense and his 4.4 speed allows him to make plays all over the field. He’s not a proven pass rusher, which is why he’d be ideally suited as an outside linebacker in a four-man front instead of being asked to rush the passer in a 3-4 defense, but he is capable of doing it.
I'm told Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith is leaning toward applying for entry into the 2016 NFL Draft, has narrowed focus on potential reps.
— Rand Getlin (@RandGetlin) December 9, 2015
Smith has 113 tackles, nine tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, five passes broken up and six quarterback hurries this year for the No. 34 scoring defense in the country.
Next: Top 30 College Mascots of All-Time
I don’t know if he’s going to be the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft to coincide with his place on Kiper’s big board, but it’s the smart decision to declare for the draft this year and avoid risking injury as a senior at Notre Dame and seeing his draft stock tumbling.