Giants Add Linebacker Jaylon Smith to Practice Squad

Smith, who was with the Giants last year, gives the Giants defense a needed boost in the coverage department.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Sep 19, 2022 8:24 PM EDT

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According to his agency, the New York Giants are signing inside linebacker Jaylon Smith to their practice squad.

Smith was acquired by the Giants last year off waivers before their Week 15 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, with whom Smith began his NFL career. Within less than a week of joining the Giants, the inside linebacker provided a physical presence in the four games he played.

In 154 defensive snaps, Smith recorded 19 combined tackles, one sack, and one pass defended. At one point, he was the best coverage linebacker on the Giants' defense, earning an 80.8 pass coverage rating from Pro Football Focus, a career-high for the five-year vet. In four games played as a Giant, Smith did not miss a single tackle while recording six stops.

With the Giants having moved on from Blake Martinez and having had some struggles in coverage among their inside linebackers, Smith could help boost that part of the operation.

From 2018 through 2020, he tallied over 120 combined tackles in each of those seasons, leading him to secure his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2019. That year alone, Smith had 142 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and nine passes defended.

Smith was cut by the Cowboys last year and had a brief stint with the Packers. He'll likely be in consideration for a promotion to the 53-man roster for the Giants' Monday night game against Dallas if he can pick up enough of the playbook in time.

It's unknown what the corresponding move was to fit Smith onto the practice squad.