Dallas Cowboys sign second-round LB Jaylon Smith

The Dallas Cowboys signed second-round linebacker Jaylon Smith to a four-year rookie deal Friday.

Smith will receive a $2.9 million signing bonus as part of the $6.494 million deal, based on the NFL's slotting system for rookies.

Smith, the No. 34 overall selection in this year's draft, became the fifth Cowboys' pick to sign this week. The team signed first-rounder Ezekiel Elliott and sixth-round picks Anthony Brown, Kavon Frazier and Darius Jackson on Wednesday.

The conversations about Smith have centered around the devastating knee injury he suffered during his final college game. The Notre Dame linebacker tore his ACL and LCL during a Jan. 1 bowl game against Ohio State, and he suffered damage to his peroneal nerve in the process.

Prior to the injury, Smith was viewed as a top-10 pick.

The 6-foot-2, 223-pound Smith, who turns 21 in June, led Notre Dame with 113 tackles last season and won the Butkus Award as the nation's best linebacker. He also had nine tackles for loss and five pass breakups.

The Cowboys are confident Smith can work his way back to his old form. The physician who performed Smith's surgery, Dr. Dan Cooper, is the club's team doctor.

Smith is likely to miss this season, but owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the Cowboys would not place him on injured reserve in hopes he could return by the end of the year.