FRISCO -- The obvious and popular need of the Cowboys heading into the 2018 NFL draft was a wide receiver.
But the desire by Jerry Jones, Jason Garrett and the Cowboys was to return to playoff and Super Bowl contention. So the pick was defense - linebacker Leighton Vander Esch.
The Cowboys had their choice of the top three wide receivers on the draft board when they went on the clock Thursday night at 19. The original 88 Drew Pearson even took the draft stage before the pick and stoked the partisan crowd as he did in Philadelphia a year ago, telling them, "we still need a receiver.