Prior to the draft, it was reported by Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com that the Dallas Cowboys were targeting either Vita Vea, Leighton Vander Esch, or D.J. Moore with the 19th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Once Vea was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 12th pick, the Cowboys’ decision was reportedly down to Vander Esch or Moore.
Dallas had been extremely high on Vander Esch throughout the entire pre-draft process. And when the decision came down to improving an up-and-coming defensive unit or drafting a wide receiver, Dallas went with the former.