Re-Drafting the 2018 NFL Draft | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

The Pick Then: Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State

The Pick Now: Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma

The Cowboys didn't do badly with their first pick in 2018. Leighton Vander Esch isn't a star (largely because of injuries), but he has become a capable NFL linebacker. The team also drafted a solid tight end that same year in Dalton Schultz.

Here, however, the Cowboys are going to pivot from the former to upgrade the latter.

Some of the gaudy numbers that Mark Andrews has posted in five years with the Ravens can be attributed to Baltimore's lack of talent at wide receiver over that span. But credit where credit is due: Since becoming a full-time player for the Ravens in 2019, Andrews ranks second among tight ends in targets, receptions, yards and touchdowns, according to Dallas Robinson on Pro Football Network.

Two years ago, the three-time Pro Bowler had the best season of his career with 107 catches for 1,361 yards and nine scores. That was the third-most receiving yards for a tight end in a season in NFL history.

Given the lack of talent of the Cowboys had at wideout in 2018, Andrews would actually be walking into a similar situation in Dallas—one where he potentially could wind up the top target in the passing game.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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