Is Leighton Vander Esch the NFL’s top performing first rounder?

In every game so far this season, rookie linebacker Leighton Vander Esch is proving he was the right pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the draft.

Prior to the start of the 2018 NFL Draft, everyone knew the Dallas Cowboys were sweet on Boise State linebacker Leighton Vander Esch. The two were practically passing “Check Yes or No” notes to one another in class and holding hands in front of the gym all offseason. Still, the Cowboys appeared to have other more pressing needs than linebacker heading into the draft.

The primary positions of concern prior to the start of the first round in Dallas were mainly at wide receiver and safety. The Cowboys had just released their longtime number one wideout in Dez Bryant earlier that month. Although the previous signing of free agent wide receiver Allen Hurns did appear to cushion the blow a bit.

As for a starting safety, the Cowboys simply didn’t appear to have one. 2017 starter Byron Jones had made the shift back to corner, leaving a vacancy alongside safety Jeff Heath. Former sixth rounder Xavier Woods was the top candidate to fill the role.

With those two needs on the forefront, the Cowboys decided to selected Vander Esch with the 19th overall pick in the draft anyway, leaving many fans scratching their heads. Especially considering the top wide receiver prospect, Alabama’s Calvin Ridley, was still on the board.

But Dallas knew their defense struggled mightily when their oft-injured Pro Bowl linebacker and defensive leader Sean Lee was forced to miss games. Last season, the Cowboys lost four out of the five games Lee was sidelined due to injury.

Combined with the continued rehabilitation of linebacker Jaylon Smith following a devastating knee injury he suffered in college, the Cowboys linebacker corps had many questions coming into 2018. The presence of Vander Esch eliminated those concerns.

Prophetically, Lee has missed three games already this season due to a hamstring injury. And his place, Vander Esch has been outstanding. The rookie linebacker currently leads the team in solo tackles with 43 and appears to already be one of the best young defenders in the NFL.

Through seven games, Vander Esch has recorded a whopping 54 combined tackles and a pass defend having started in just three of his seven game appearances. His best performance so far was against the Houston Texans in Week Five, where he recorded 14 total tackles, 11 of which were solo.

The football analytics website Pro Football Focus recently released a ranking of all the NFL’s rookies selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. And the Cowboys’ Vander Esch posted the highest grade among all of them through Week Eight. Here’s what PFF’s Mark Chichester had to say about Dallas’ rookie linebacker.

"“Through eight weeks, the former Boise State Bronco’s overall defensive grade of 84.1, his run defense grade of 77.8 and his tackling grade of 89.3 all rank first among rookie linebackers.”"

Following Vander Esch on the PFF’s list were Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James (82.8), Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander (82.0), and San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey (80.2).

PFF actually has Vander Esch graded as the fourth best linebacker in the NFL currently (out of those who have played more than one game). That’s insane considering he was a one-year starter at Boise State and has a background in eight-man football. This rookie’s potential is clearly immense.

The early play of Leighton Vander Esch through the first half of his rookie season has been spectacular. His presence on the linebacker corps has solidified the position in Dallas and is a big reason why the Cowboys defense has excelled in 2018. Despite the team’s other roster needs, Dallas appears to have made the absolute right choice for their team and it’s future in the selection of Vander Esch.

For more grades, advanced statistics and more at Pro Football Focus, subscribe to PFF’s EDGE or ELITE subscriptions at ProFootballFocus.com.