The Dallas Cowboys took one of the most intriguing and promising cornerback prospects entering the league this season. Shavon Revel Jr. was projected to be an early second-round selection, but a torn ACL made him fall to the third round. Still, his falling to the Cowboys left fans feeling like they had one of the draft's biggest steals.
Revel missed the first 10 games of the season, and his season debut came at a time when the Cowboys' defense was finally showing signs of life. Although he's had his few moments, his presence isn't exactly the driving force behind any recent defensive success.
The rookie out of East Carolina has shown some flashes of strong play in limited action this season. Even so, he's not at a point in his development where the Cowboys fan put all their blind trust in him as their starter for next season, leaving the front office with a conundrum this offseason.
Shavon Revel Jr. Has Two Games to Prove He's the Guy
Revel has been on the field for at least 62% of the snaps in all but his first game of the season, so clearly, defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus believes in him. That being said, the results haven't necessarily been encouraging.
He's got all the talent in the world, but he's still a work in progress, and he will need more time before he can be a full-time starter or defend the opposition's top wide receivers. Through six games (four starts), he's allowed 23 receptions on 30 targets for a 73.6% completion rate. He's also given up 267 receiving yards (11.6 yards per completion) and three touchdowns, and opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 136.4 when challenging him.
Of course, having him miss more than half of the season took a big toll on his development, and it's way too early to give up on him. That being said, the Cowboys aren't in a position to roll the dice and give him a longer leash next season, and they will now probably have to either spend money or draft capital to make sure they have a playable and starting-caliber cornerback opposite DaRon Bland, who's been having a down year, next season.
Notably, that could also mean pumping the brakes on their potential decision to move on from Trevon Diggs. While Diggs hasn't been good this season and is earning more money than he deserves with his production, he's still a veteran with a more proven track record than Revel. The Cowboys might want to keep that partnership going until they're certain Revel is ready for the spotlight.
The Cowboys are no longer in the race to make the playoffs, but that doesn't mean they don't have anything else to play for this season. If anything, the final two weeks will be a huge test for Shavon Revel Jr., leaving it up to him to prove to Dallas that he's ready to be 'the Guy' next season.
If not, finding more CB help might be atop owner/general manager Jerry Jones' priority list this offseason.