When the New England Patriots traded away Jamie Collins to the Cleveland Browns, the team moved on from its best coverage linebacker – one it has not been able to replace since the October 2016 trade deadline. Sure, Dont'a Hightower is solid when dropping back and both Kyle Van Noy and Marquis Flowers have had more ups than downs, but the Patriots need another player that can play all three downs and not be a question mark.
Enter Boise State linebacker and likely first-round draft selection Leighton Vander Esch.