5 Steps to make the Dallas Cowboys defense better in 2023

Dallas Cowboys, time for a position change for Kelvin Joseph. 

From an athletic testing standpoint, Kelvin Joseph is passing with flying colors. That’s exactly what made him a second-round pick two years ago out of Kentucky. While he was demoted after multiple poor performances at the cornerback spot, I’m not ready to give up on this prospect all together.

Dan Quinn has seen this story play out before during his time in Atlanta. Ricardo Allen played predominantly the cornerback position during his collegiate tenure and under Mike Smith with the Atlanta Falcons. However, when Dan became the head coach, Allen was asked to convert to the safety position.

Kelvin has some of the same measurables as Allen. 

Joseph – 6’1″ 192 pounds 31 7/8-inch arms and 9 1/4-inch hands

Allen – 5’9″, 187 pounds, 30-inch arms and 9 1/4-inch hands. 

While Allen was a bit smaller than Joseph, the arm length and hand size are comparable. If Allen could make the change, there’s no reason to believe that Kelvin couldn’t do it. At the very least, you would have another athlete that could serve as depth should there be a need rather than having to pluck people off the street or dig into your practice squad.

It’s going to be year three for the former Kentucky Wildcat, so it has to start clicking for him sooner rather than later. While it hasn’t been pretty, he still has live game action both on defense and special teams. *The open field tackling he is doing on special teams will also aid him in making similar tackles at his new position.

It is not an apple for apple type of transition, but Super Bowl teams and Super Bowl caliber defenses find ways to maximize the talent they have on the roster. This is a way for the Dallas Cowboys to do just that.