Dallas Cowboys' CB Trevon Diggs Actually Playing Solid Season
It's not easy to look for positives concerning the Dallas Cowboys through seven weeks of the season. However, one does come to mind. Even on the defensive side of the ball. Believe it or not, rookie cornerback Trevon Diggs is doing a better job than one might think when watching the Cowboys play on Sundays. […]
It's not easy to look for positives concerning the Dallas Cowboys through seven weeks of the season. However, one does come to mind. Even on the defensive side of the ball. Believe it or not, rookie cornerback Trevon Diggs is doing a better job than one might think when watching the Cowboys play on Sundays.
Granted, Trevon Diggs hasn't been a shutdown cornerback. If you watch him play, you're not going to be reminded of Byron Jones or any other top corner in the league. But then again, did we expect that from him? After all, Diggs was a second-round pick for the Cowboys. And he's not exactly in a great situation.
He's playing on a defense that's struggling at all levels. While his projected teammates were Chidobe Awuzie and Anthony Brown, he's mostly shared the field with Jourdan Lewis and Daryl Worley. The Dallas Cowboys have basically asked Diggs to be the team's #1 cornerback right out of the gate.
To be more specific, consider the Cowboys' snap counts at the cornerback position, per Pro Football Reference.
- Trevon Diggs – 94.4%
- Jourdan Lewis – 62.9%
- Daryl Worley – 52.4%
- Anthony Brown – 44.8%
- Chidobe Awuzie – 25.5%
Diggs is by far the most targeted player in the Cowboys' defense but he's also played way more than any of his cornerback teammates. Yet he's still allowing the lowest completion percentage out of all defensive backs at 54.2%.
According to Pro Football Focus, Trevon Diggs is one of the NFL leaders in pass breakups this season. But more importantly, his grades in coverage have been consistently improving.
It's too early to know what kind of player Trevon Diggs will be in the NFL, but there are promising signs for the 23-year-old rookie. It's also worth considering he's playing in a Mike Nolan-coached defense. Early season reports mentioned players found Nolan's scheme somewhat complicated and while that might sound like excuses, Nolan himself has publicly addressed the issue.
The Dallas Cowboys are expecting CB Chidobe Awuzie back this week, and that could be a huge boost for the defensive backfield. Even if he's not a shutdown cornerback, he's a solid starter in the NFL. At the very least, he's surely an upgrade over any CB in the Cowboys' roster.
The Dallas Cowboys will likely continue to struggle on defense, but something has got to improve with Awuzie's return. Specifically, I expect Trevon Diggs to improve his play every time he's out there on the field. Sharing the field with better players will definitely help the young rookie.
Featured Image via Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
