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Dallas Cowboys draft pick grades following the Oxnard portion of camp

By Brad Austin

SANTA CLARA, CA - AUGUST 09: Leighton Vander Esch #55 and Justin March-Lillard #53 of the Dallas Cowboys tackles Marcell Harris #49 of the San Francisco 49ers in the second quarter of their NFL preseason football game at Levi's Stadium on August 9, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - AUGUST 09: Leighton Vander Esch #55 and Justin March-Lillard #53 of the Dallas Cowboys tackles Marcell Harris #49 of the San Francisco 49ers in the second quarter of their NFL preseason football game at Levi's Stadium on August 9, 2018 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

The Oxnard portion of Dallas Cowboys training camp ends on Thursday. It’s time to grade the drafted rookies after battling it out in California.

The Dallas Cowboys will end the Oxnard portion of training camp today with a walk-through practice. Remaining practices will resume back home in Frisco, TX.

Between news articles and one preseason game, most fans have received a summer taste of the 2018 rookie draft picks. It’s time to piece together the information and assign these prized rookies a grade on their camp performance to date.

FIRST ROUND – LEIGHTON VANDER ESCH (LB)

GRADE: B-

Due to lofty draft status, some expected Leighton Vander Esch to quickly win the starting middle linebacker job in the early down base defense.

Those who studied his college tape knew it would be an uphill battle and unlikely for 2018.

The space playing, evasive, slasher in college was tasked to learn new inside keys while simultaneously increasing his physicality to thrive in the early down role.

LVE has looked impressive in the middle of the nickel defense and earned a spot there. However, he tends to play tentative and inconsistent in the middle in base.

Also, Jaylon Smith has leaped forward and displayed every intention of starting at MIKE.

If an injury occurs to Sean Lee or Smith, it’s likely standout veteran Joe Thomas would take over at WILL or MIKE in the base defense before Vander Esch.

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