Dallas Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs: Growing Pains Will Pay Off
By Reid Hanson
The growing pains the Dallas Cowboys are enduring with Trevon Diggs will soon pay off.
When the Dallas Cowboys thrust their rookie cornerback into the starting lineup, we knew there were going to be growing pains. The second round pick out of Alabama entered the league raw. The receiver-turned-cornerback wasn’t the typical finished product Nike Saban usually produces. The 6-foot-1 200lb boundary man was largely getting by on athleticism and instincts. Patience would be required at the NFL level.
As we know, patience wasn’t a luxury the Dallas Cowboys had this season. After waving goodbye to starting CB Byron Jones this offseason, the Dallas secondary had an opening. Preseason injuries elsewhere in the secondary only exasperated the situation and Diggs became a Week 1 starter.
Over the first six weeks of the 2020 NFL season, Diggs has played 95% of the Dallas Cowboys defensive snaps. Not exactly ideal for a raw rookie CB…
Through the first leg of the season, Trevon Diggs was one of the most picked on CBs in the NFL. The rookie has given up 389 yards this season at a clip of 8.8 yards/target. His 1.86 yards per coverage snap…ain’t good.
Despite all of this, fans have been excited about their new cornerback. His physicality and ball skills indicate good things are ahead. Once Diggs eliminates the mistakes and stops falling for double-moves, he’s going to be a force in this league.
Last week, Diggs was matched up on none other than DeAndre Hopkins (arguably the best WR in the NFL) and for the most part, shut him down. Completions against him are getting more difficult by the day and Diggs’ confidence is unwavering (a key trait in a CB).
Lowest completion % allowed among rookie CBs:
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 23, 2020
1. Jaylon Johnson, Bears - 50%
2. Michael Ojemudia, Broncos - 56%
3. Trevon Diggs, Cowboys - 60% pic.twitter.com/wNJHznWEPf
Dallas Cowboys coaches and teammates like the rookie as well. He’s being leaned on as a core member of this defense and appears to have a bright future in this secondary.
Mike Nolan said Anthony Brown and Trevon Diggs will continue to get most of the work as the main CBs.
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) October 23, 2020
Trevon Diggs factors into the Dallas Cowboys future enormously. With Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis set to hit free agency, and the Cowboys unlikely to re-sign them, the secondary will be leaning on Diggs considerably next season.
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Limited funds are available, meaning Dallas is unlikely to use free agency to find frontline starters at CB. Plain and simple: Diggs will be expected to be CB1 as early as 2021. Dallas will likely use the draft to fill the outside spot opposite him and veteran Anthony Brown will again man the inside. It’s imperative that Trevon Diggs continues to progress because Dallas has painted themselves into a corner (so to speak) and there aren’t many feasible back-up plans.
If Dallas wants to be a contender next season they’re going to need Diggs to be their top CB. These growing pains hurt, but they’re inevitable. And necessary.
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Trevon Diggs has had an understandably bumpy start to his career but he improves by the week and hopes are high he’ll soon be the CB1 the Dallas Cowboys so desperately need.
- Published on 10/25/2020 at 11:01 AM
- Last updated at 10/25/2020 at 06:37 AM