Is Boise State linebacker Leighton Vander Esch a good fit for the Dallas Cowboys?

Meet linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, the possible first-round draft pick by the Dallas Cowboys.

The Boise State inside linebacker participated in an NFL Draft Play Football Clinic with area junior high students Wednesday at the NFL Experience outside AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys draft 19th on Thursday.

"I don't know if there's a way to put it into words because it's what I've wanted to do my whole life, and now that it's finally here, a day away," Vander Esch said. "It's a tremendous amount of joy and I'm honored to be here.

"I've dreamed of this moment my whole life and now it's finally here and I get to experience it with my family and friends and coaches. It's something special and I just can't wait until my name's called."

The 2017 Mountain West defensive player of the year is 6-feet-4, weighs 256 pounds, and ran a 4.65-second 40 at the NFL Combine.

Asked why he'd be a good fit with the Cowboys, Vander Esch said, "Because I'm dynamic and athletic. I mean I'm rangy, I could run around the field and make plays. I think I'd fit in very well with their defense. I just think I'd be awesome."

He's also a big fan of Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli.

"He's an awesome dude," Vander Esch said of Marinelli. "He's definitely a character. He put a smile on my face the second I talked to him. Yeah, he's cool.

"It was neat getting in for a [Cowboys] visit and meeting everybody, and seeing a couple of players. It was a good experience, and I'm looking forward to it. Just can't wait until Thursday."

Some draft experts have soured on Vander Esch because he wore a neck collar at Boise State.

Vander Esch said Wednesday that the chatter was "somebody trying to get clicks."

Perhaps his biggest weakness is his one year of starting experience for the Broncos.

"In my heart I always believed that I was smart enough and intelligent enough to be a first-round pick," he said. "It was just putting the work together."

He said he's met with every team.

"Nobody tells you that they're going to take you. It's just a busy process for about a month -and-a-half after the Combine, how things go, visiting teams and then private workouts and calls and all that stuff. You're talking to a lot of people. Nobody just tells you that they're going to outright pick you."

This story was originally published April 25, 2018 at 6:59 PM with the headline "Is Boise State linebacker Leighton Vander Esch a good fit for the Dallas Cowboys?."