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In every draft there are players selected by teams that hope they can overcome injuries that cloud their future and become productive players for years to come.

The Cowboys took one of those players in the 2016 draft when they selected linebacker Jaylon Smith in the second round. Smith suffered a severe knee injury that caused nerve problems in his final college game and missed all of his rookie season while rehabbing. That was what the Cowboys expected, but they believe things can be different this year.

During a Friday appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said that Smith should be ready for OTAs and minicamp this year and that the team still has high hopes for his future with the franchise.

“He’s doing great,” Jones said, via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “He’s making great improvements. We’re more fired up than ever we picked him last year.”

The Cowboys are expected to add more defensive help in the draft next week, but, based on what Smith did at Notre Dame when healthy, the biggest addition to their lineup could already be on hand.