Jaylen Smith's hip injury is a bigger loss than the depth chart suggests

Smith has made seven starts at strong-side linebacker and recorded 46 total tackles, a 6.6 tackle-per-game average. His replacement, Michael Griffin II, steps in against Edmonton with Smith listed as questionable after missing practice all week. The 24-year-old Canadian was a 2025 second-round pick, so his absence also tests Winnipeg's national ratio.