The Google dictionary defines "best" as "that which is the most excellent, outstanding, or desirable." In that case, there's no linebacker unit that is more "excellent, outstanding or desirable" than the one in Dallas.

The Cowboys are no strangers to boasting a top position group in the NFL. Even though injuries hampered it last year, the offensive line has been regarded as the consensus best in the NFL for stretches in recent years. Anchored by All-Pros Travis Frederick, Zack Martin and Tyron Smith (all younger than 29 years old), the Cowboys not only had the talent to boast the top offensive line in the NFL, but they also had youth on their side, which gave them staying power.

Much like the offensive line, Dallas' linebacker corps has the rare opportunity to be the best now and for the foreseeable future.

Exhibit E.



LVE immediately reads the pulling RG and C and expands outside. Then he reads Tavin Coleman's path, undercuts Alex Mack's block and makes the tackle (with the help of DeMarcus Lawrence) short of the sticks. Shouts to Ben Bloom on the sideline as well. pic.twitter.com/lH23SSVwhE — John Owning (@JohnOwning) May 30, 2019

Leighton Vander Esch, 22, proved to be one of the best rookie linebackers in recent history last year. He carried the defense during the absence of its leader, Sean Lee, last year.

Vander Esch only started 11 games (13 if you include playoffs) last season but still finished toward the top in nearly all major statistical categories for linebackers. He finished third in total tackles (113), fifth in stops (54) -- any tackle where the result of the play is deemed "unsuccessful" for the offense -- seventh in yards per catch allowed and 10th in pass breakups (4), according to Pro Football Focus.

In fact, despite playing more than 140 fewer snaps than Luke Kuechly (927 snaps played in 2018) and Bobby Wagner (925) -- who are widely regarded as the two best linebackers in football -- Vander Esch accumulated more tackles and stops than Wagner, finishing a single tackle (114) and seven stops behind Kuechly last season.

Listed at 6-foot-4, 256 pounds with 97th percentile athleticism (among NFL linebackers), according to Three Sigma Athlete, Vander Esch looks like he was built in a lab to play linebacker in the NFL.

In today's NFL, there are, speaking generally, two archetypes of linebackers. There are the big, downhill thumpers who are extremely effective attacking the run downhill but tend to struggle in coverage and moving laterally. And there are the small, sideline-to-sideline type of linebackers who thrive in coverage and flowing laterally to the ball but tend to struggle to get off blocks and defend downhill runs.

Vander Esch, who didn't even play 11-man football until college, is somehow the best of those two archetypes rolled into one, making him the ideal linebacker in today's NFL.

Exhibit B.



PHI running a trap scheme, which gets Jason Peters up to LVE at the 2nd level quickly. Doesn't matter though because LVE attacks downhill and blows open the gate by exploding through Peters' inside hip, putting him in position to stop and wrap the RB. pic.twitter.com/iDFXJO0rhh — John Owning (@JohnOwning) May 30, 2019

Despite being a rookie last season, Vander Esch proved to have instincts beyond his years -- which, when combined with his size and athleticism, is why he's around the ball at such a high rate. On top of his sheer size, Vander Esch's 33 7/8-inch arms give him an usually large tackle radius, which gives him the ability to wrap and drag down ball carriers in situations where most linebackers wouldn't. Vander Esch's size gives him enough power to play through blocks on his way to the ball carrier.

Exhibit A.



LVE rightfully gets a lot of acclaim for his ability against the run, but he's also very adept in coverage as well. Shows off his man coverage ability against TE James O'Shaughnessy here. Patient in press, flattens the stem and uses his length to deflect the pass. pic.twitter.com/1yDLMVbl8Q — John Owning (@JohnOwning) May 30, 2019

In coverage, Vander Esch's intelligence puts him in the proper spots, his size enables him to condense throwing windows in the short-to-intermediate passing game and his athleticism enables him to carry tight ends up the field or mirror running backs out of the backfield.

The only area where Vander Esch, who will man the WILL linebacker spot (weak side) in 2019, remains relatively unproven is as a blitzer, but that's mostly because that role would be better utilized for Dallas' other freakishly athletic linebacker, Jaylon Smith.

Entering the NFL with a serious knee injury, many wondered whether Smith would ever play football again, let alone play at a high level. Still, despite the odds, Smith persevered through pain and anguish to make it back onto the field in 2017. Smith may not be as effective as he wanted to be that year, because he was still seriously hampered by the effects from the knee injury, but it laid the groundwork for his success in 2018.

Finally healthy, Smith put together an outstanding season that was only upstaged by Vander Esch's meteoric rise to stardom.

At 6-foot-2, 245 pounds with what appears to be 4.5 speed, the 24-year-old is another size-speed stalwart on the second level of the defense.

Exhibit F.



Jaylon Smith hitting power is always impressive. WRs must be mindful of No. 54 when coming over the middle. Jaylon jars the ball loose from Adam Humphries here. pic.twitter.com/iGMbZTnst0 — John Owning (@JohnOwning) May 31, 2019

Positioned as the MIKE linebacker (middle), Smith became the tone-setter of the defense. His rare explosiveness enables him to unleash his unusual hitting on ball carriers. Whether he built up a head of steam or had to create power in small spaces, ball carriers rarely fell forward after feeling the impact of Smith's pads at the point of contact, which limits opposing teams' dirty and hidden yardage.

Smith also made huge strides in his ability to quickly key and diagnose an offense during any given play, which enabled him to be quicker flowing to the ball and take more aggressive angles of attack.

Exhibit B.



One of the most memorable play from Jaylon Smith last season. Shows off his burst and speed to run down Deshaun Watson and prevent the TD. pic.twitter.com/GQtYekTuL1 — John Owning (@JohnOwning) May 31, 2019

Moreover, Smith may be at his best when used as a QB spy or blitzer, as it takes advantage of his outstanding athleticism and impressive pass rush ability. During his time at Notre Dame, Smith spent a lot of time in practice rushing off the edge, and it's paid huge dividends in the NFL. Smith finished 13th among off-ball linebackers in total pressures last season despite receiving less than 80 pass-rush opportunities.

Your team doesn't have a MLB who can turn and run with Evan Engram, who happens to run a 4.4 40?



Sorry, can't relate.



Any more questions on if Jaylon Smith is completely healthy? pic.twitter.com/tMCmuUFlk0 — John Owning (@JohnOwning) September 18, 2018

In coverage, Smith's unique speed enabled him to not only carry tight ends but also receivers down the seam in Dallas' Tampa 2 coverage, which is extremely rare even in today's NFL.

Smith's statistical impact wasn't to the same degree as Vander Esch but was still impressive in its own right. Smith finished top-20 in tackles, stops and yards per reception allowed among linebackers who played at least 50% of their defense's snaps, according to PFF.

Having just Vander Esch and Smith would be enough for Dallas to boast a top linebacker unit in the NFL. Sean Lee's inclusion pushes them over the top.

When healthy, Sean Lee is a baaaaaaaaaaaad man. #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/p3EE2be2QP — John Owning (@JohnOwning) June 19, 2019

For a long time, when healthy, Lee was regarded as a top-three linebacker in the NFL with Kuechly and Wagner. Nevertheless, Lee's problem is that he hasn't been healthy for a large portion of his career, and it appears to finally be catching up with him.

In the past, when Lee would return from injury, his level of play rarely suffered. He was usually able to make a huge impact upon his return. Last year, however, things changed, as Lee looked like a shell of himself after returning from injury in multiple instances, which is why Dallas felt obligated to leave Vander Esch as the starting MIKE linebacker down the stretch last season.

Fast forward to this year, and Lee is getting ready to attack a new challenge in his 10th season. He will give way to Smith and Vander Esch at the MIKE and WILL linebacker spots to slide over to the starting SAM linebacker spot in the defense. That gives Dallas a uniquely talented triumvirate on the second level of its defense.

There are some questions as to how Lee's skill set will translate to a position where he will be spending more time near the line of scrimmage while being forced to take on blocks much more frequently. However, Lee's instincts are second to none and he's done a good job of adding the necessary bulk to handle the more physical play, which should enable him to have success at the new position.

Luckily for Dallas, even if Lee does struggle some in the transition, it won't have a drastic effect. The SAM linebacker has a reduced role in Dallas' defense (gets taken out when the team moves to its nickel defense).

When searching for another off-ball linebacker unit that can rival Dallas', the best place to start is with the teams who employ the two best individual linebackers in football.

The Carolina Panthers have long had one of the best units in the NFL, thanks in large part to the future Hall of Famer Luke Kuechly. In the past, the Panthers also boasted three incredibly talented linebackers in Kuechly, Thomas Davis Sr. -- a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro -- and Shaq Thompson, a former first-round pick who has flashed elite talent at times.

A trio of Kuechly, Davis and Thompson could contend with Dallas for the mantel of best linebacker unit in football, but unfortunately for Carolina, Davis departed for Los Angeles to play with the Chargers, which dealt a significant blow to Carolina's argument.

Much like the Panthers, the Seahawks have a very impressive top-two but suffer when forced to include a third. Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright have been an outstanding duo for the Seahawks when healthy. But when forced to add Shaquem Griffin or Mychal Kendricks to make it a trio, it just doesn't stack up with Dallas' trio of Vander Esch, Smith and Lee.

Another team that deserves mention is Buffalo. Much like the Cowboys, the Bills have two young studs at in Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano to go along with a productive veteran in Lorenzo Alexander. As impressive as that trio may be, they all sit just a tick below their Dallas counterparts -- though Alexander has an argument that he's more impactful than Lee right now given Lee's inability to stay healthy.

When searching to find the off-ball linebacker group that is the "most excellent, outstanding, or desirable," the answer is clear.

The Cowboys' trio of Leighton Vander Esch, Jaylon Smith and Sean Lee reigns supreme.

Enjoy this post? More film studies:

-- Why S George Iloka will play an important role in 2019

-- Why CB Jourdan Lewis will be a key reserve in 2019

-- Why rookie RB Tony Pollard will be a versatile weapon in 2019

Twitter: @JohnOwning