10. Jaylon Smith, Dallas Cowboys
It is almost impossible not to root for Jaylon Smith. After suffering a horrific knee injury in his final collegiate game, he has recovered to become on of the NFL’s premier linebackers. With a combination of size, athleticism and explosiveness, Smith has the ability to make plays at all levels of the field.
2019 was a career season for Smith, and he showed growth in many facets of the position. He notched a career high in tackles with 108, while adding four sacks, tying a career-high set in 2018. He also showed improvement in coverage, allowing 31 receptions on 41 targets for a reception percentage of 75.6% (the lowest he has allowed in the league) and an NFL passer rating of 95.4 (again, a career low).
Plays like this show his growth in coverage:
Really impressive play by Jaylon Smith in coverage here. Carries the chair route through the stem before passing him off to Heath. Then picks up Ertz running across the field, runs stride for stride and breaks up the pass.
Not many LBs can do that. pic.twitter.com/muKaZzGiC5
— John Owning (@JohnOwning) October 23, 2019
In the end, it is his explosiveness that make him such a talented linebacker. He can collapse on receivers underneath or ball carriers in an instant, and he packs a punch at the point of contact. When added up, these pieces amount to a tremendous talent at the position that, given his past, is easy to cheer for.