The Las Vegas Raiders are giving a former Notre Dame star an opportunity at an NFL comeback.
The Raiders invited linebacker Jaylon Smith to take part of their minicamp over the weekend on a tryout foundation. In response to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Smith agreed to a cope with the staff on Sunday.
Smith has not performed within the NFL since 2023, when he was in his first stint with the Raiders. He was signed off the New Orleans Saints’ follow squad that yr and appeared in only one sport with Las Vegas. He was later launched and signed a practice-squad cope with the Pittsburgh Steelers, although he by no means appeared in a sport with them.
The 29-year-old Smith was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the thirty fourth general choose in 2016. Smith received the Butkus Award as the very best linebacker within the nation throughout his junior yr at Notre Dame in 2015. He then suffered a serious knee damage as a senior, which resulted in him falling additional than anticipated within the draft.
The Cowboys took an opportunity on Smith, and the choice initially paid off. He was a standout linebacker in Dallas and made the Professional Bowl in 2019. Accidents then caught up with Smith once more, and he bounced round to a number of groups after leaving the Cowboys as a free agent in 2021.
Smith will face an uphill battle to make the roster in Las Vegas, however he has had spurts of being a productive participant when wholesome.