Is a position change necessary for this Dallas Cowboys defender?

If you aren’t familiar with this former Dallas Cowboys first-round pick, you wouldn’t know that this future Hall of Famer almost flamed out of the league. That’s right, the “Manster” almost didn’t become the elite player we have all come to admire.

Randy White was the second overall pick in the 1975 NFL Draft with hopes that he could solidify the linebacking corps. This was a monumental failure as White struggled to play the position. After two years of mainly playing special teams, he became a force once legendary Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry moved White back to the defensive line.

Former left Tackle Mark Tuinei from the so-called  “Great Wall of Dallas” made the switch from defensive to offensive tackle and flourished winning multiple Super Bowls with this team. That makes me believe a position change can help this current Cowboy.

Like Randy White, Jaylon Smith is in a similar position other than the number they share. A highly touted prospect that has struggled at the linebacker position. Jaylon is an athletic freak who struggles moving sideline to sideline but more importantly lacks the instincts to overcome his lack of lateral movement skills.

Smith excels at rushing the passer makes me feel like he can be a force coming off the edge. I have seen him stand up lineman in his rush and absolutely destroy running backs that have attempted to stop his blitz.

I believe a move to stand up and rush from the outside in  Dan Quinn’s “Leo” position ( more on that later) is the key to unlocking this player’s strength. Asking him to play linebacker unprotected is like playing defensive coordinator with the opponent listening to your headset.

Jaylon Smith the pass rusher with the ability to play strong-side linebacker on the line of scrimmage in Quinn’s base defense is certainly intriguing and something I hope the team explores moving forward. It also helps that he can play traditional linebacker in a pinch makes him more valuable as opposed to the player most want off this team.

So where would Jaylon Smith play if he does not conduct a position group move?

If you are familiar with how the new Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator lines up his base defense, you would know that he uses a traditional base 4-3 with some flair. He likes to employ a nose guard who either lines up right over the center or slightly shades over to one side.

He also likes to use a four technique to play a two-gap assignment opposite of his “LEO” position. The Leo position will more than likely be manned by Randy Gregory which is just a defensive end lined up extremely wide from the tackle opposite of him.

DeMarcus Lawrence will get time in the Leo position but will more than likely play the end opposite of the Leo as his run defense is just superior to everyone else. This front four alignment leaves a massive gap between the Leo and the nose but to counterbalance, the weakside and middle linebacker line up over the gap.

The two linebackers in the gap have to be big enough to stack and shed lineman but also instinctive enough to shoot gaps to make a tackle. Jaylon doesn’t fit that bill but what he does fit in this scheme as a strong-side linebacker.

The strongside backer lines up just outside of the base defensive end, which in this case is Lawrence, and can either blitz, keep containment, or drop into coverage. Things that Jaylon is known to be able to do.

This will limit the space Jaylon has to cover and basically cuts the field in half for him to read. It also takes away the guesswork he has been known to do and allows the plays to come to him where he can take advantage of his strengths to make a play.

The problem with this is the Cowboys now have to add a linebacker to start alongside Leighton Vander Esch inside of this created gap. There has been a lot of speculation on the future of Sean Lee but this role might suit him better than any other defense we have seen him play.

So Jaylon will likely no longer be the backer calling the plays and lining up in the middle, he can still become a major player in Quinn’s defensive alignment but one that makes him a contributor to the defense rather than its leader.

Jaylon’s biggest issues seem to be more about overthinking what’s going on in front of him rather than physical limitations. Thinking less about his responsibilities will allow him to play faster.

Jaylon Smith is very aware of his brand and the optics of this move could have a psychological effect on this player who does not seem to know his play has had a negative impact on this team. If he can make this move without a hitch, he could once again find himself as a fan favorite who makes splash plays.