NFL Draft: Grading each 2018 first-round pick after Week 11
By Randy Gurzi
19. Dallas Cowboys: Leighton Vander Esch, LB
Most mock drafts had the Dallas Cowboys taking a wide receiver in the first round and that made a lot of sense. They had just released Dez Bryant and didn’t have an adequate replacement for him. They scouted just about every possible player at the position and then when they were on the clock, they had their choice of every wideout.
Those who followed them though saw a change in the guard leading up to draft day. Dallas had started looking long and hard at Boise State linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and even had a medical team checking out some neck issues he had late in the year for the Broncos to make sure he was fully healthy.
More. Cowboys big takeaways from Week 12. light
When the pick came in, there was a collective sigh among fans as they couldn’t believe the team took a kid with one year of production at Boise State. Fast forward to now and LVE is a star.
He’s been thrust into a starting role with Sean Lee hurt and he and Jaylon Smith are quickly becoming one of the best duos in the NFL at linebacker. Vander Esch destroyed a couple plays in the Cowboys win over the Eagles and Falcons — one of which he tackled both his blocker as well as Tevin Coleman of Atlanta. He also recorded an interception in each one of those wins, something that their linebackers haven’t been able to do for quite some time.
It’s safe to say at this point that Dallas knew what they were doing. And trading for a wideout in Amari Cooper has also satisfied those who were upset about them missing a receiver.
Grade: A