OXNARD, California -- Jaylon Smith had his “wow” moment of training camp.

On a stretch play to the left Saturday, the Dallas Cowboys' linebacker shot the gap between the offensive line to stop Darren McFadden for what would have been a tackle for loss.

After missing 2016 as he recovered from a knee injury, Jaylon Smith is turning heads at Cowboys camp. AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

“The defensive scheme is about alignment, assignment, key and technique,” Smith said. “Once you do that, it’s about playing fast. I did all those things on that play.”

It wasn’t Smith’s only play. He met McFadden in the hole in the next 11-on-11 period of practiced. He butted up tight end Geoff Swaim on a pass to the middle and nearly tipped a pass down the seam.

In his first padded practice in 572 days last Wednesday, Smith took part in only eight plays of team drills. On Saturday, he took part in 10 plays of team and four plays of 7-on-7.

“He made the play that’s there if you’ve got the skill to do it,” owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. “On two or three plays it was his play to make, and of course he made it, but he did it with some explosion and with some speed. And of course he’s got instincts.”