It wasn’t that long ago that he was the baby of the Cowboys defense. In 2018, Leighton Vander Esch was a fresh-faced youngster straight out of Boise State after playing eight-a-side football in high school. At the time, many people questioned the Cowboys’ decision to select Vander Esch with the 19th pick in the 2018 draft. As mentioned, coming out of Idaho, he could only play football at eight in high school. He didn’t go to college at a school in one of the Power 5 conferences. It seemed pretty risky.
Proceed to 2020 and he is a key part of the Cowboys defense and asserting himself as a leader. Vander Esch had a breakout year as a rookie when he took over from injured Sean Lee, and never returned the job that year. In 2019, an old neck injury reappeared and forced Vander Esch to the sideline while Lee had to get back into position.
After neck surgery, Vander Esch does not seem concerned about the injury hampering him in the future. Todd Archer at ESPN has a great story detailing where Vander Esch is heading into the 2020 season.
In addition to the discussion of injuries, there is talk of LVE taking the reins of the team. The third-year player is now a veteran and a cornerstone of the defense. It thus strengthens its role as a leader.
“If anyone’s wrong, I’ll do it right. If something is wrong in the dressing room, we will do it right and fix it, ”said Vander Esch. “Don’t procrastinate. Don’t just ignore things. You have to make it the way it is. You have to do it fast. You can’t wait. I think we need that leadership this year. I am happy to help do this. But I know all the guys are good to go. I’m going to put it all on the pitch for them and show them that I’m ready to play fast and play for them and support them.
LVE will move into the middle of the defense in a trade with Jaylon Smith who will take on the role of WILL. The idea is that this should give Smith more freedom to blitz the quarterback, which he has shown to be very adept at doing. It’s part of Mike McCarthy / Mike Nolan’s new philosophy to tailor the program to their players’ strengths, rather than forcing them to join the system.
Vander Esch will be patrolling the middle of the defense and have no fear that he will be in top physical shape for the season. Much like Dak Prescott built a soccer field for her own off-season needs, LVE essentially built a gymnasium for themselves, although this is a gymnasium that a few lucky young athletes will also be able to use.
Vander Esch was at The Star for much of the offseason during the coronavirus pandemic, as injured players could always readjust to the facility. When he wasn’t in Texas, he was back in Riggins, Idaho, training in the high school weight room he had outfitted with $ 100,000 worth of equipment.
“I had access to all the weights you need and a football pitch in Riggins, Idaho,” Vander Esch said. “This is another thing. You have to be a grown man and take responsibility for doing the job you need to do. Just because we haven’t had an offseason, there are no excuses.
The Cowboys didn’t appear to have the same defense without Vander Esch for most of the year in 2019. His presence in the middle will be one of the most important elements of a revamped defense under Nolan. He’s ready to go, not only on the pitch, but also in the locker room.
