Jaylon Smith Feeling at Home with Giants

Smith has hit the ground running for the Giants in what was a whirlwind indoctrination last weekend. As he moves forward, he's hoping to make an even bigger impact.

Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

For some, being signed to a new football team on a Friday only to be put out on the field 48 hours later might be beyond overwhelming.

But not to linebacker Jaylon Smith, the former Dallas Cowboys second-round pick who found himself in that very same scenario when he was just finishing up a workout in his hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana only to find he had a call from his agent saying the Giants wanted him to hop a plane stat to sign with them.

Forty-eight hours later, Smith was on the field for the Giants in their sub packages. He played in 17 snaps, and recorded 4 tackles and two stops, an impressive Giants debut considering the circumstances.

“I thought Jaylon got in the game yesterday and obviously had about four to six hours of coaching to get him ready for the game. Had a walk-through with the defense” said head coach Joe Judge.

“I really liked the way this guy responded, and he’s been a pleasure to coach in the short window we’ve had. He went out there, he played fast, he’s able to go ahead and get his hat on a few people to make some plays.”

“I’m a pro's pro, a guy that's always going to be prepared and ready for the opportunity, so that's really what it was,” Smith said Thursday after practice. “I've been playing this game since I was seven years old, so getting in here learning the system. The coaches are doing a great job at giving me the basics and allowing me to go out and just play my game.”

Giants Injury Report: Kadarius Toney, Two Others Activated Off COVID-19 List :: Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Giants are slowly inching back to having a healthier roster, as three players come off the COVID-19 list.

---

Giants Joe Judge: No Decision Yet on Starting Quarterback :: Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Giants head coach Joe Judge said they'll go through the week before deciding on a starting quarterback for Sunday's game versus the Eagles.

---

New York Giants - Week 16 Storylines to Watch / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Giants head down to Philadelphia this weekend to face an Eagles team that has won its last seven home games against the Giants.

---

Giants Dilemma: What to Do With Daniel Jones's Fifth-year Option / Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Daniel Jones's career durability issues raises a question about whether the Giants would be better off declining his fifth-year option. Some thoughts.

---

Giants Continue to Sink in MMQB Power Rankings :: Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Giants are tied with the Jets in the latest MMQB power rankings and only two other teams are deemed worse as the 2021 nightmare of a season comes to a close.

---

NFC East Week 15 Wrap-up: Cowboys Win the Division / USA Today Sports via IMAGN Image Services, LLC

The NFC East has not had a repeat winner since 2001-04 (Eagles).

---

Smith was seen on the Giants sideline with the defensive coaches constantly in his ear, giving him a crash course on the team's defense. Fortunately for him, his prior experience in the league was a benefit.

“With this being my sixth year in the league, I've been in a few systems now, so you kind of understand as time goes on that teams are running the same stuff,” he said. “It’s just different terminology, different formats, different ways to execute, and it's all about consistency. For me, it's just taking it day-by-day and learning.”

Despite his positive showing, he feels there’s still more for him to show.

“There's so much more to improve, and that's the focus this week, getting the playbook all the way down and getting ready to get after the Eagles this weekend,” he said.

Smith, whose brother Rod, a running back, was with the Giants in 2019, decided to pick up jersey No. 45 for his stay with the Giants, the same number worn by his brother.

“It’s a blessing being able to my brother’s jersey,” said Smith, who picked his brother’s brain for some intel about the Giants organization and culture before signing with the team.

Smith who has overcome adversity before—he tore his ACL and MCL in the Fiesta Bowl while at Notre Dame which sent his draft stock plummeting—ended up losing his roster spot on the Cowboys as he slid down the team’s depth chart.

The Packers picked him up, but almost as quickly as he was in the door, he was cast back out on the street before the Giants came calling.

Now that he’s with the Giants, Smith hopes to stick around for a while.

“It's a humbling experience. It’s my first year really dealing with the politics and business side of the National Football League, but I'm a guy that I’ve been through so much, nothing can stop me,” he said.

“I'm a guy that's going to continue to work, continue to learn. Just a humble servant. But a guy that's young and got a lot of ball left playing at a high level. It was a blessing to be able to show that versus the team that drafted me last weekend. Now, it's just about moving forward.”

---

Join the Giants Country Community

• Sign up for our FREE digest newsletter
• Follow and like us on Facebook
• Submit your questions for our mailbag
• Listen and subscribe to the daily LockedOn Giants podcast.
• Subscribe and like the new LockedOn Giants YouTube Channel
• Sign up for our FREE message board forums
• Subscribe and like our YouTube Channel