NFL Draft prospect to know: Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State

LVE appears to be a legitimate option at pick 19 for the Cowboys.

By Cole Patterson@colelpatterson Apr 7, 2018, 2:00pm CDT

NCAA Football: Las Vegas Bowl-Boise State vs Oregon

Blogging The Boys will take a look at some of the NFL Draft prospects that will be in the 2018 NFL Draft class. Some weeks, we will look at potential targets that will be within the Cowboys’ expected draft range. Others, we will highlight some of the elite members of the class.

We are getting closer and closer to the 2018 NFL Draft! Which means, of course, mock drafts are gaining more and more steam as teams begin to get their pre-draft visitors together. Some common names throughout this process have been wide receiver Calvin Ridley, defensive tackles Vita Vea and Da’Ron Payne, and linebacker Rashaan Evans.

The first two Alabama players listed, Ridley and Payne, happen to be the two players trending for the Cowboys in the latest mocks.

Now that free agency has settled down, the mock drafts can reassess the needs for each team and adjust their picks. Today, we look at 16 mocks for the Cowboys first-round pick at #19 in the 2018 NFL draft. Instead of coming to a consensus as the draft draws closer, it seems like the Cowboys picks are getting more varied.

If there was a consensus, it comes at the wide receiver position where seven of the 16 mocks went for that position, and of those seven, four of them chose Alabama’s Calvin Ridley. D.J. Moore was the choice of two mocks and one chose Courtland Sutton.

The only other player mentioned in multiple mocks is defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne from Alabama. He is the top pick in three of the 16 mocks

Last week we took a look at a potential day-three prospect. Today, though, we will look into a linebacker that wasn’t listed but appears to be a potential first-round pick for Dallas.

Leighton Vander-Esch — linebacker, Boise State Broncos

6-foot-4
240
Junior

Leighton Vander Esch appears to be a prospect that is just now playing the best football of his career — and has the potential to continue get better and better.

Vander Esch played 8-man football in the smallest classification in Idaho as a high schooler. Because of this, no one outside of the home-state Broncos had even hard of LVE’s name. The unranked recruit signed with Boise State in the 2014 recruiting class, and the unknown linebacker took a redshirt season his initial year on campus.

In 2015, Vander Esch received his first taste of college football. The Idaho native played in eight games as a redshirt-freshman, where he made 20 tackles (14 solo), one for a loss, and one fumble recovery. His best game of his first collegiate season came against the UNLV Rebels, where he made five solo tackles. LVE added three solo tackles and a fumble recovery against Hawaii.

Vander Esch’s sophomore season began to show more of what he was and is capable of. The 6-foot-4 backer unfortunately dealt with injuries throughout the season, but he showed flashes: 27 tackles (23 solo), 3.5 tackles-for-loss, one sack, and an interception in just six games. Sure, he had talent — but could he show that through the year? Vander Esch was seen as a prospect with talent, but it’s doubtful that anyone could have predicted the kind of season he would go on to have and that he would forgo his senior year in favor of the draft.

But, that’s exactly what LVE did. The likely 2018 first-round selection exploded on the field during his junior campaign: 141 total tackles, 91 solo, 8.5 tackles-for-loss, four sacks, two interceptions, five passes defended, and four forced fumbles. Maybe the game of the season — and his three-year career — came on the road against the Washington State Cougars, as LVE made 16 total tackles, including ten solo, to go along with two sacks and a forced fumble.

Another performance that is up there was his Mountain West Championship Game Defensive MVP showing versus Fresno State — 16 tackles and a game-sealing pick. Additionally, Vander Esch — proving once again that he shows up on the big stage — recorded 12 tackles (10 solo), three TFLs, one sack, and he forced a fumble in the 38-28 Las Vegas Bowl victory over the Oregon Ducks.

Vander Esch was all over the field for the Broncos’ defense in 2017. He was a huge reason why Boise State won 11 games and the conference championship this past fall. While he may not be on the level of Roquan Smith and Tremaine Edmunds at this stage, Vander Esch is a solid linebacker prospect that offers a lot of upside if he gets into the right system.

What do the experts say?

Regardless of where LVE is ranked on a board, many analysts appear to believe that the talented linebacker will be taken with one of the first 32 selections of this year’s draft. The linebacker position is always an important piece of any defense, and the expectation of Smith and Edmunds going in the top-15 makes Rashaan Evans and LVE that much more of a priority. Here’s what some analysts have to say about the former Boise star.

Dane Brugler describes LVE as a “potential Pro Bowler” and believes he has more upside than what Taco Charlton had coming out last year.

19. Dallas Cowboys

Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State

Some might see this as a reach, but the Cowboys don’t. Vander Esch is an ascending talent with very encouraging tape, traits and production, giving Dallas immediate depth at linebacker and a potential Pro Bowler.

I'd be more excited about Vander Esch at 19 this year than I was about Taco Charlton at 28 last year. LVE is more of an ascending player. https://t.co/U3zeKU5Sbc
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) March 25, 2018

Bryan Broaddus, however, is a tad worried about Vander Esch, and he explains why.

Bryan Broaddus: I was very, very critical of Joey Bosa a couple years ago so I’ve kind of learned my lesson about being so critical of guys. I’ll continue to fight that battle.

The only real problem I have with him is there’s sometimes where he takes on blocks and I don’t think he’s as physical as he needs to be for as big as he is. Now he’s a player, again, with the length he has, the ability to run sideline to sideline: that’s going to be something I think is very advantageous to whatever team he goes to. I picked him for our mock draft [in our Star Magazine].

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports has LVE going in the top ten:

8. Chicago Bears

Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State. They need to get better at linebacker and some scouts have compared Vander Esch to Luke Kuechly.

Whereas Will Brinson has the backer falling to the Patriots — showing just how fluid his draft projection is.

31. New England Patriots.

Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State: In lieu of trading back out of the first round, which is ultimately what Bill Belichick will do in this draft, let’s give him a prospect that just seems to fit the mold of the Patriots’ defensive strategy.

Another CBS Sports writer, Ryan Wilson, thinks the Steelers grab him on day-one.

28. Pittsburgh Steelers

Leighton Vander Esch, ILB, Boise State. The Steelers signed inside linebacker Jon Bostic as a stopgap but Vander Esch has been impressive during predraft workouts. He’s long on athleticism but short on experience, which could means he spends much of his rookie season learning from the sidelines.

As you can see, Vander Esch’s stock is all over the board. For as many that has him as a top-20 player, others view him as late first-round, maybe early second-round choice.

The fact of the matter is that LVE will more-than-likely be a day-one selection. The fact that he was invited to the draft in AT&T Stadium, as well as his meetings with teams such as the Lions (pick 21), Steelers (28), and others, makes it appear that some team will grab him on April 26th.

The Dallas Cowboys are another team that is set to meet with the 26th ranked player on Brugler’s board. Vander Esch is one of three linebackers on the list of the Cowboys’ 30 pre-draft visitors which signifies that there is at least some real interest from America’s Team. Will (or should) the Cowboys take him at 19 is a completely different question, but there appears to be some legitimate interest there.

Vander Esch is a player that his warts — like his struggles to get off blocks, only having one big season, and his bizarre similarities to 2006 Cowboys first-round pick Bobby Carpenter; but he also has upside and talent: long and athletic, MWC Defensive Player of the Year, and 141 tackles in one season. While he may not be worth the 19th selection in some eyes, he will certainly be long gone before 50.

Ok, last one on Vander Esch for tonight. Check out this change of direction, then the explosion to the ball carrier. This man is 6’4” 256... pic.twitter.com/IHfglKNelu
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) April 3, 2018

Shot 4 - Vander Esch is always where he needs to be. Stays square to the LOS, keeps pace with the RB as the backside LB, and fits this perfectly, finishing with a form tackle pic.twitter.com/bEPdwGB6QE
— Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) April 5, 2018

Shot 7 - Vander Esch playing off of the DE in the run fit. DE falls off inside, but LVE is there to clean this run play up for a short gain. He's always where he needs to be in the run game. pic.twitter.com/cV2hptoSpg
— Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) April 5, 2018

"I've always carried that chip on my shoulder."

Leighton Vander Esch is going from walk-on to potential 1st round draft pick ⬇️

: Path To The Draft pic.twitter.com/iVUvutC3oR
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) March 28, 2018