IRVING, Texas – There might have been several veteran players pleased with the Cowboys' recent draft, especially the first two picks. But none of them could possibly be more ecstatic than Rod Smith, who has now transitioned from running back to fullback.
In fact, there's probably not another NFL player who has better ties to the first two picks of a draft than Smith, who not only is biological brother to second-round pick Jaylon Smith, but was roommates with Ezekiel Elliott during the 2013 season at Ohio State.
"Yeah it was a pretty good draft for me," Rod Smith said this weekend, although he wasn't eligible to participate in the rookie practices.
He was able to get a workout in at the headquarters, and was around for his younger brother, Jaylon, meeting the Dallas-Fort Worth media for the first time.
"This is crazy," he said with a smile, pointing towards his brother doing an interview with about 20 media members. "I was just happy to see him get an opportunity to live out his dreams. It was a plus to have him e here with me, right next to my locker, it's a beautiful feeling. I'm just happy for him."
[embeddedad0]Rod Smith said he doesn't foresee Jaylon taking too long to recover from a knee injury that many believe will keep him out all of 2016.
"He's a strong young man. This is his first adversity. So far, he's handling it right. Before you know it, he'll back there on the field looking like his normal self."
Rod Smith has been on a team before when Elliott was added to the squad. Perhaps, he can take the young running back under his wing again.
"My man, Zeke, his freshman year we were roommates," Rod Smith said. "I had to help him teach the playbook and take him under his wing. He picked up quick. It's a good feeling to see what his college career looked like. I'm happy for him to live out one of his dreams and be here with me. So I'm happy."
However, unlike at Ohio State, it doesn't appear Rod Smith will be competing for time with Elliott. The Cowboys moved him to fullback before the NFL Draft.
"I'm doing a little bit of everything. I think I'm a pretty athletic fullback," Smith said. "They're going to use me a lot different ways. I'm ready for the challenge. I'm going to find my way around the ball."
The Cowboys chose not to re-sign Tyler Clutts, but have also moved linebacker Keith Smith to fullback from his linebacker spot.
