The 2023 Dallas Cowboys defense has reached rarefied air. In an NFL described as a "passing league," very few times does a defensive unit becomes renowned by fans, media, and even opponents.

After consecutive years of being a Top 3 defense in EPA/play, that's where the Cowboys are at today. But Dan Quinn's defense might be about to get even better. 

The front office traded for Stephon Gilmore in March. It drafted a nose tackle, a first for the franchise since 1991. Micah Parsons, and Trevon Diggs, among many other young defenders, are still developing and getting better every year. But, in the eyes of linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, all of that isn't the actual reason why the Cowboys will be even better this year.

"Being a third-year defense that's all together and we haven't lost any pieces," Vander Esch told reporters earlier this week. "We've kept everybody together, we have the ability to do something really special."

The insightful Robert Mays once interviewed then-Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph for The Athletic, who provided a bit of very special insight that's stuck with me since I read it in 2021.

“I think every NFL coach — and every college coach — needs at least three years to have a chance to see the system work and to see the players have a chance to buy in […] That’s when players go beyond just learning and adjusting the rules of the system and begin to twist and break them to their advantage. "

– Vance Joseph via The Athletic, 2021

Quinn's Cowboys will benefit exactly from that in 2023. As Vander Esch explains, the defense had no major losses. As the communicator of the unit, the veteran takes on a big amount of responsibility as expectations are sky-high.

---

Wearing the green dot goes beyond just having comms with the play-caller. Vander Esch is not only tasked with relaying the call and making sure everyone is in the right place, but he's also the natural leader of the unit. He says part of his role is holding his teammates accountable and providing immediate feedback if something went wrong.

That also shows when the linebacker talks about his younger teammate: 

"I love seeing (LB Damone Clark's) development and he's just on that steady climb up," he said. "And just tell him to keep it day by day, take things day by day. It doesn't matter if you had a good practice yesterday, doesn't matter if you had a bad practice yesterday, it's being here now, in the present."

This reminds me of Vander Esch's display of leadership back in Micah Parsons' first-ever NFL game. The Cowboys were facing the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Hall of Fame game and Micah was flying around making big plays. But then, Vander Esch hit him with some veteran advice.

The linebacker explained he shouldn't be trying to make every play. After all, deviating from his assignment would leave holes in the defense. A linebacker who shoots to another gap trying to make the tackle is leaving his own gap unaccounted for, basically. 

It's the kind of thing a wide-eyed rookie needs to hear from an NFL veteran like LVE. And it's the kind of thing that the Cowboys want from their 2018 first-round draft pick. 

Entering his sixth year in the league, Vander Esch's importance for the success of this team is often overlooked and underrated. The Cowboys brought him back on a two-year deal worth $8 million for a reason. 

In one of the thinnest position groups on the team, LVE provides experience, leadership, and good football play, particularly in coverage. Quinn can't afford to lose him. 

Cowboys: Micah Parsons labeled ‘No. 1 violator’ of training camp’s golden rule

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy made sure to point toward the team’s superstar following one of the biggest scares of training camp.

Featured image via Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports