Shavon Revel Jr. would've likely been a first-round pick if it weren't for his season-ending injury in college. He had a first-round grade at one point, and having him slip to the Dallas Cowboys in the third round wasn't always in the cards.
That's why, now that the team has revamped the coaching staff and should fare much better when faced with stopping the pass, it's time the fans change their tone about Revel Jr. He wasn't good as a rookie, but he's just getting started.
The Cowboys Need to be Patient with Shavon Revel Jr.
Revel barely saw the field as a rookie while recovering from that season-ending injury. He will now have a full offseason and training camp to catch up after essentially a redshirt rookie season, and he'll have the right guys by his side.
Landing Christian Parker and Derrick Ansley should work wonders for the Cowboys' league-worst pass defense. They gave up 251.5 passing yards per game under Matt Eberflus, also allowing a league-worst 30.1 points per game.
Revel wasn't on the field when the Cowboys had playoff hopes, and he didn't do much to help their case once he finally got a chance to play. Then again, he was a ballhawk and high-end prospect during his days at East Carolina, and it's never wise to count out a player after a bad rookie season.
In just seven games (five starts), Revel registered 35 total tackles (23 solo), three passes defensed, and one tackle for loss. He did allow a 73.7 percent catch rate and give up 331 yards and three touchdowns with an opposing passer rating of 126.1, though, so it's safe to say he was already baptised by fire. He also had the lowest Pro Football Focus grade (35.2) among 114 eligible cornerbacks.
The Cowboys are bending over backwards to make sure their secondary isn't among the worst in the league next season, and Revel is most likely a huge part of their plans. Christian Parker helped develop Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell, and Derrick Ansley helped Derwin James Jr. become one of the hardest-hitting defensive backs in the game.
Even if things didn't go his way in his first season in the pros, the talent and upside are clearly there. Revel needs to get his legs under him, and all this time to ramp up his body and get back to full strength, plus an improved coaching staff, should do the trick for him.
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