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Why Leighton Vander Esch Makes Sense for The Cowboys

The Cowboys' goal should be to leave the 83rd annual NFL draft at AT&T Stadium with a middle linebacker, a speedy, play-making receiver and Seattle safety Earl Thomas.

Taking care of the linebacker Thursday night with the 19th pick seems to be a good start.

Then it's a matter of choosing between the two players who will should be available when it's their turn to pick: Boise State's Leighton Vander Esch and Alabama's Rashaan Evans.

Vander Esch is 6-4, 256 pounds can make plays sideline-to-sideline and excels in coverage, a huge factor in today's NFL where the game is all about passing. Evans is 6-2, 232 pounds and comes with Alabama's championship pedigree and coach Nick Saban's blessing.

Evans is a physical player, who will be good against the run and can provide some pass rush as a blitzer. He did it on occasion from a three-point stance at Alabama, though it's unlikely the Cowboys would use him like that.

The criticism of Vander Esch is that he's not a physical player, which is generally what's required of a middle linebacker. What that means is he's not all that interested in taking on blockers, shedding them and making tackles.

Listen to enough folks who study the draft for a living and they'll tell you Vander Esch is tough enough to play inside linebacker, and they can teach him to be physical by focusing on fundamentals and techniques.

There has been a lot of chatter about Vander Esch reportedly having a neck injury. Some teams are concerned about it, a Cowboys source said they're not.

The questions about Evans center on whether he's big enough to consistently lock up with 330-pound guards and make plays.

Vander Esch's ability to cover the freak-of-nature tight ends that rule today's NFL gives him the edge over Evans. The Cowboys love his athleticism, his speed and the prospect of a big-time play-maker, an aspect of this defense that's been lacking for years.

That's why I expect the Cowboys to take Vander Esch, if they stay at 19.

There's no guarantee, of course, the Cowboys will stay put. They haven't moved up or down in four years, which is like a 100 years for other teams.

If the Cowboys move up in the draft, it probably won't be unless a player they covet - Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea or Florida State's Derwin James is available at 12. Buffalo currently has the 12th pick, but it would depend, obviously, on the price to move up.

The Cowboys are enamored with Vea, a 6-5, 340 defensive tackle, who's big enough to play over the center, command double teams and be a run-stopper, but agile enough to be disruptive.

He's not a sexy pick, but he's the kind of massive player who can impact the entire defense.

James would be a kind of hybrid safety who could cover tight ends and make plays against the run too. Any playmaker Dallas adds will be a positive.

This is not a great class of receivers and the Cowboys could very well have their pick of Alabama's Calvin Ridley, Maryland's D.J. Moore or SMU's Courtland Sutton at 19.

While the Cowboys need a receiver to replace Dez Bryant, who was released last week, there's not enough separation between those players and Texas A&M Christian Kirk, Oklahoma State's James Washington, LSU's D.J. Chark or Memphis' Anthony Miller that they'll feel the need to grab one of those players.

Besides, the odds of having a rookie receiver make a significant impact are slim. Three receivers were taken in the top 10 of the 2017 draft, and Western Michigan's Corey Davis had the best season, catching 34 passes for 375 yards and no touchdowns.

That's one more reason for Dallas to take Vander Esch.

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