Solid Starter
Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State – Round 1 
As WalterFootball.com first reported, Vander Esch was removed from some teams’ draft boards because of medical issues stemming from a neck nerve injury, concussion issues, and a knee ligament sprain. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen and NFL Network’s Mike Mayock confirmed our report from their own league sources. Other media criticized WalterFootball.com, calling the report was untrue only to do a reversal a short time later to say it was true, but would not credit WalterFootball.com for reporting it first. At the end of the day, those bad medical reports did not matter because Dallas liked Vander Esch enough to take him in the first round. The Cowboys needed linebacker help, and Vander Esch could be a starter to go with Jaylon Smith for many years to come.
As a run defender, Vander Esch uses sideline-to-sideline speed and good diagnosis skills to always be around the ball. He is also very impressive in pass coverage and particularly a natural in zone. Vander Esch is fluid in space with some twitchy athleticism and an ability to re-direct and get depth in his drop. He is quick to move around the field with good awareness. Vander Esch is intelligent and adept at following the quarterback’s eyes to disrupt throwing lanes.
“To me, he’s a third-round talent, but probably will go higher,” said an AFC general manager. “He has gotten a lot of hype, but he plays soft. He’s too much like Paul Posluszny for me. He’s a good player and will have a lot of tackles, but most of them will come four yards downfield. He’s not an impact-at-the-line guy like a Ray Lewis, Luke Kuechly, Jon Beason or Brian Urlacher.”
Thus, I think Vander Esch could be a solid starter for the Cowboys, although he is not a boom-pick candidate given his limitations as a player along with the medical concerns that could be problematic at a very violent position.
2017: Jourdan Lewis, CB
2016: Ezekiel Elliott, RB
2015: Cha Green, OT
2014: Zack Martin, G
2013: Travis Frederick, C
Most Likely To Bust
Connor Williams, G, Texas – Round 2 
Williams was projected by many media members to be a first-round pick, but I know teams that him graded as low as the fourth or fifth round and I shared their opinion. There are a lot of problems for Williams in the NFL. The biggest issue is that he is not strong at all. He plays soft and gets pushed around. Williams lacks strength in his base and speed rushers can give him problems. He also has an issue with sustaining blocks as defenders can break away from his blocks with ease.
Williams is a tweener guard/tackle. His lack of length would make him a better fit at guard. However, his lack of strength would be very problematic on the inside as strong or heavy nose tackles will give him problems. His feet and athleticism would fit better at tackle, but he lacks strength there and speed rushers can give him problems. I think Williams is a smaller and weaker version of Luke Joeckel. Thus, I think he has a real shot at being a bust.
Williams was a media-hype creation who Dallas went for, but many other teams had him graded well into Day 3, so taking him in the top-50 was a huge reach by the Cowboys. Williams could get stuck on the bench via his play and the better talent ahead of him. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Williams ends up being a bust for Dallas.
2017: Chidobe Awuzie, CB
2016: Dak Prescott, QB
2015: Randy Gregory, DE
2014: Anthony Hitchens, LB
2013: Gavin Escobar, TE
Potential Boom Pick
Dorance Armstrong, DE, Kansas – Round 4 
A year ago entering the 2017 offseason, Jerry Jones said the Cowboys needed a “war daddy” to get after the quarterback. Dallas was able to land an edge rusher with Taco Charlton, but the team needed more pass-rushing depth to go with Charlton, Demarcus Lawrence and Tyrone Crawford. Armstrong has the athletic flexibility to play defensive end or outside linebacker. While there is a lot of competition, I think Armstrong could end up being the Cowboys’ best pick from the 2018 NFL Draft.
Armstrong has an excellent skill set, but it was hard for him to illustrate in 2017 because the team around him was so bad. Opponents were able neutralize him with double teams and plays going away from him while taking advantage of the lack of talent elsewhere on the Kansas defense. In 2016 as a sophomore, Armstrong had some serious production with 10 sacks, 20 tackles for a loss, 56 tackles and three forced fumbles while being a First-Team All-Big XII selection. The 6-foot-4, 257-pounder looked like he had stud potential as an edge rusher that season.
If Armstrong can get back to his 2016 form, he could be a massive steal for Dallas. It will be a challenge for him to earn snaps as a pass-rusher with Lawrence, Charlton, Kony Ealy, Jihad Ward and Datone Jones in house. Still, Armstrong looked like a first- or second-round pick after the 2016 season, and I think he has real boom potential for Dallas.
2017: Taco Charlton, DE
2016: Jaylon Smith, LB
2015: Byron Jones, S
2014: DeMarcus Lawrence, DE
2013: Terrance Williams, WR
Future Depth Player
Michael Gallup, WR, Colorado State – Round 3 
After cutting Dez Bryant, the Cowboys needed wide receiver talent and took a quality second-day receiver with Gallup. The 6-foot, 198-pounder has good hands, route-running, quickness and functional size. However, Gallup’s college coaches gave NFL teams some poor feedback on working with Gallup. Thus, I could see some issues with him transitioning to the pro game, where it gets a lot harder to get by on just natural ability. Those issues could keep Gallup from becoming a good starter, but I think he could at least be a quality third or fourth receiver who rotates into the game and is a solid backup.
2017: Ryan Switzer, WR
2016: Charles Tapper, DE
2015: Damien Wilson, LB
2014: Ben Gardner, DE
2013: Joseph Randle, RB
Walt’s 2018 NFL Draft Grades:
19. Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State B Grade
One NFC team medically flunked Leighton Vander Esch, but as Charlie and I explained on the podcast, this didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to fall out of the first round. Teams have different medical opinions of players, and Dallas obviously has no issues with Vander Esch’s neck. If Vander Esch remains healthy, he’ll be a terrific player in a Dallas defense that has historically struggled mightily whenever Sean Lee has been injured. Lee being hurt now won’t be as problematic moving forward, which is a good thing.
I’m giving this a “B” grade. I’d like the pick a lot more if there weren’t medical concerns about Vander Esch, but there’s a good chance his neck won’t be a problem, so I think this is a somewhat solid, albeit risky choice.
50. Connor Williams, OT/G, Texas D Grade
This is a pretty poor selection. The Cowboys, desperate after Courtland Sutton and Dallas Goedert were taken off the board, have reached for a mid-round tackle. Teams were shocked to see the media place Williams in the first or second round, as he doesn’t have a home in the NFL. His arms are way too short to play tackle, and he’s not nearly strong enough to play guard, which is why some teams considered him to be a fifth-round prospect. Even worse, Williams doesn’t fill any sort of need. This was pretty close to a Millen.
81. Michael Gallup, WR, Colorado State A- Grade
The Cowboys finally found their receiver. Michael Gallup has great speed and separation – something Dez Bryant lacked in his final days in Dallas. Gallup should be a nice, downfield threat for the Cowboys, and some could have argued that he could have been taken a bit earlier than this, so I like this selection.
116. Dorance Armstrong, DE, Kansas B- Grade
Once upon a time, Dorance Armstrong was considered a first-round pick. He didn’t play as well in 2017, but probably because he saw double teams on every play, being the only viable player on Kansas’ roster. Armstrong, however, seems more of a 3-4 player, so I don’t like this fit very much.
137. Dalton Schultz, TE, Stanford B+ Grade
The Cowboys have made some stinker picks thus far, but this seems like a solid one. Dalton Schultz was someone we squarely saw as a fourth-round prospect, so he makes a lot of sense here, as Dallas absolutely had to find a replacement for the newly retired Jason Witten.
171. Mike White, QB, Western Kentucky C+ Grade
I don’t like this pick from a needs perspective. The Cowboys already had a solid backup in Cooper Rush. However, I don’t hate this selection either, as Mike White was the top quarterback on the board.
193. Chris Covington, LB, Indiana C- Grade
Chris Covington probably shouldn’t have been drafted, but I don’t think this is a poor pick. Covington is a former quarterback who has a history of knee injuries, so he’s still learning the position. He may not be anything more than a special-teamer.
208. Cedrick Wilson, WR, Boise State A- Grade
Cedrick Wilson could have gone a round earlier than this, so this is a solid choice by the Cowboys, who need as much receiving help as possible. Wilson is an average athlete, but a quality route-runner, so he should be able to contribute sooner rather than later.
236. Bo Scarbrough, RB, Alabama A Grade
I cannot remember another instance in which Jerry Jones, a proud Arkansas alumnus, selected a player from the hated Alabama program. I guess he had to make an exception, and it was a good one. Bo Scarbrough was beaten out by a couple of running backs named Harris this past season, but he’s a physically gifted back who should’ve gone in the fourth round. This is a great pick.
2018 NFL Draft Team Grade: C+ . Follow Walter @walterfootball for updates.
Dallas Cowboys Season Preview
NFL Picks - Dec. 13
2025 NFL Mock Draft - Dec. 11
NFL Power Rankings - Dec. 9
2026 NFL Mock Draft - Nov. 29
Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 4
