Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch has been having an impressive rookie campaign, and Pro Football Focus agrees. According to their rankings, Vander Esch has been the best rookie linebacker this season, coming in ahead of Indianapolis Colts' first-year linebacker Darius Leonard.
Vander Esch has certainly been spectacular in 2018, racking up 109 tackles, two interceptions, and seven passes defended through the first 13 games of the season.
The 21-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Boise State University, was selected by the Cowboys in the first round (19th pick overall) of the NFL Draft back in April.
His impressive performance thus far does not come as a surprise, as Vander Esch was a standout at Boise State.
In his third and final collegiate season with the Broncos, Vander Esch registered 141 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, two picks, four forced fumbles, and five passes defended. Talk about filling up the stat sheet.
Prior to his breakout junior campaign, the Riggins, Idaho native had a quiet first couple of years at Boise State, totaling 47 stops, 4.5 tackles for loss, an interception, and a fumble recovery throughout his freshman and sophomore seasons.
Now, he is a frontrunner for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Things have been going very well for the Cowboys of late. After a rough start to the year which saw them get out to a 3-5 record over their first eight games, the Cowboys have rebounded, winning five straight contests. Three of those victories came against NFC East opponents, including a pair of wins over the Philadelphia Eagles.
With a win over the Indianapolis Colts this weekend, Dallas would clinch the NFC East title.
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