The 2020 NFL Draft is less than a week away and the Dallas Cowboys would like an answer on the reinstatement of Aldon Smith sooner rather than later. Ahead of the draft, Cowboys Executive Vice President Stephen Jones reacted to the NFL's handling of Smith's reinstatement (via Heavy.com as transcribed from 105.3 The Fan):

“You certainly want to give them every opportunity to have success with their battles off the field and that they ultimately get to a good spot when they’re ready to take the next step and play football again … Certainly, our league, with the infrastructure they have in place, will certainly evaluate that and let us know where they stand at some point in time. We understand that it’s not the Cowboys timing, it’s when the NFL office and their resources that they have after they finish evaluating these gentlemen and the work that they’ve put in to get better off the field, that they’ll certainly let them know as well as us know if and when they’re going to be reinstated.”

The Cowboys signed Smith to an incentive-laden, one-year deal earlier in free agency. Despite being signed, Smith is waiting to see if the NFL allows him to be reinstated after being suspended indefinitely in 2015.

Also, besides Smith, Dallas is also awaiting an answer on whether or not Randy Gregory can be reinstated. The Cowboys currently hold the No. 17 pick in the upcoming draft.

Provided that, Smith's and Gregory's statuses could determine who the Cowboys select in the first round. But with the draft less than a week away, the clock is running out for Dallas to get a definitive answer in time. At the least, Jones and the Cowboys seem to be patient with the NFL's process.