Comparing Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch to determine which Cowboys LB is more valuable
Things haven’t been that great at linebacker for the Cowboys, but which of these players is worth keeping around for the long haul?
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Something has gone awry with the play of the once dynamic linebacker duo of Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch. It seems like just a couple years ago that this tandem was making plays all over the field and it felt like the Dallas Cowboys were set at linebacker for years to come. In fact, the 2018 version of the Cowboys defense was ranked fifth in the league in run defense, allowing just 95 rushing yards per game. Compare that to this years team, and we saw a unit that gave up 159 yards a game, ranking them second-worst in the entire league. There were a lot of chefs in that hell’s kitchen to contribute to this unappetizing plate of run stopping, with the performance of Smith and Vander Esch being right square in the middle of it. Bon appétit.