Atlanta Falcons running back Ito Smith is coming off of arthroscopic knee surgery, but he should be ready for the start of training camp, according to Jason Butt of The Athletic.
Smith underwent the procedure to repair a meniscus issue in his left knee back on Dec. 19 and is coming off of a rookie campaign in which he rushed for 315 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 3.5 yards per carry. In addition, he caught 27 passes for 152 yards.
The 23-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Southern Mississippi, was originally selected by the Falcons in the fourth round (126th pick overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft.
He spent four years at Southern Mississippi, ending his collegiate career by racking up 1,415 yards and 13 scores during his senior season, hauling in 40 receptions for 396 yards and two touchdowns.
Smith had a rather significant role for the Golden Eagles right from the get-go, totaling 536 yards while reaching the end zone twice on the ground during his freshman year.
The following season, Smith broke out, registering 1,128 yards and 10 touchdowns and also snaring 49 balls for 515 yards and three scores. He then had the best year of his NCAA career in his junior campaign, as he racked up 1,459 yards and 17 touchdowns as a rusher while recording 43 catches for 459 yards and a pair of scores.
Atlanta won just seven games this past season and did not look all that competitive at any one point during the year.
As a result, the Falcons missed the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
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