FRISCO -- The brace has been discarded.

Jaylon Smith can't even tell you where it is at the moment.

What the Cowboys linebacker can tell you is that he feels "more like myself'' than at any point since that devastating knee injury 29 months ago. His confidence and muscle mass is up, his body fat is down and a new-found love for yoga helps with his flexibility and focus.

"Everything just feels better, from my emotion to my quickness to my explosiveness to my overall knowledge of the game,'' Smith said Wednesday afternoon after the Cowboys completed their fifth organized team activity of the offseason.

"It's all about God's timing and going to continue to get better in that race to 100 percent. It's out of my hands, out of everyone's hands.

"We're just going to continue to ride.''

The ride no longer includes the ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) he wore all last season.

Smith did more than rip his anterior cruciate ligament in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl. He damaged his peroneal nerve to the point it no longer functioned, leaving him unable to lift his left foot toward his shin. Once he regained the ability to partially flex his foot upward he was unable to slap it down with any force.

The AFO was an essential element in his return. The brace began just above his ankle and ended with a custom plate positioned under his left foot. There was nothing on his knee or shin. An assist spring made the brace more flexible and dynamic.

Smith hasn't worn the device during OTAs. While he didn't throw the AFO away -- he jokes (?) it will figure prominently in his documentary -- he swears he has no idea where to find it.

That happens with items you no longer need.

"I feel more free, being able to move truly, if you will,'' Smith said.

Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli said he no longer notices a hitch in Smith's step. The movement is more fluid.

Jason Garrett notices a confidence in Smith that healthy players take for granted. The Cowboys head coach sees the natural movement the club scouted in the linebacker when he was a star at Notre Dame.

"Maybe more than anything else, I think he's moving more spontaneously now,'' Garrett said. "You see him maybe get in a compromising position and react his way out of it physically maybe better than he had before.''

Smith feels faster now than he did in his final season with the Irish. He recently clocked a 3.98 in the 20-yard shuttle. His best time last season was 4.03.

Only part of the improvement can be traced to tossing the AFO. He has added eight pounds of muscle since the end of the season while his body fat has dipped to 3.5 percent.

"Good genes,'' he said.

Smith no longer has to worry about his left foot hurting at the end of practice as he did every day last season. The brace didn't hinder him as much as it annoyed him.

"I didn't care about having to wear the brace or not,'' Smith said. "I wanted to play.

"I played the full, entire season at the highest level. So it's something I knew I could do. It's just getting that opportunity and having people believe in me. I was able to do that.

"To have the brace off now, it's an extra added value what I bring to the table just being able to accelerate my growth.''

Yoga is something else Smith has incorporated into his offseason routine. His astrological sign was a factor.

"I'm a Gemini,'' he said. "I'm very observant. I just thought, 'hey, why don't I try to work on my flexibility more and learning how to breathe and learning how to really focus?'

"That's something that yoga provides.''

Smith began the discipline in January and in his own words, "fell in love with it.'' When he returned to his home in Fort Wayne, Indiana he had a teacher come to his house to lead the session. When he returned to Frisco he showed up at Yoga on Main at 8 a.m. one day for a hot yoga class and kept going back.

He's the only NFL starting linebacker in the class.

He's also the only male. Smith's classmates are surprised at how flexible he is for someone "with all my muscles and everything.

"I mean, the ladies are nice but it's all about getting the job done,'' Smith said.

Smith spent his time at middle linebacker last season. That appears to be the best position for first round pick Leighton Vander Esch. But Smith should also be able to play strongside linebacker with his size and speed.

Marinelli said he doesn't intend to move anyone until down the road.

"Wherever they want me,'' Smith said. "I can do it all.''

He's certainly doing more than he was 12 months ago.

"Hey, I'm taking it all in,'' Smith said. "I'm going to be great, want to be great for this team, for my brothers.''