2 former Cowboys cornerbacks ranked above Trevon Diggs in PFF ranking
Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs has become one of the most polarizing defenders in the sport. The 11 interceptions, the yards allowed, and much more stats have kept the intense debate alive among NFL fans. Pro Football Focus has been at the forefront of this debate given how low Diggs' PFF grade for the 2021 […]
Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs has become one of the most polarizing defenders in the sport. The 11 interceptions, the yards allowed, and much more stats have kept the intense debate alive among NFL fans.
Pro Football Focus has been at the forefront of this debate given how low Diggs' PFF grade for the 2021 season was. His 58.5 overall grade ranks him at 80th in the league, lower than teammates Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis. By specific coverage grade, Diggs ranks 50th in the NFL.
Such grades have brought up controversies as frequently as Diggs picked off opposing quarterbacks in 2021. But PFF has repeatedly defended its stand by providing context to the grade and indicating that Diggs has tremendous upside he can work upon.
However, one of their most recent articles has Trevon Diggs ranked significantly lower than many would've expected. Anthony Treash ranked the best cornerbacks of the NFL in different tiers, and Diggs didn't even make it into any of the top three tiers of the league.
That's right, Diggs was named a "Tier 4" cornerback in the rankings. Of course, there is relevant context you must understand. Here are the descriptions of each tier:
- Tier 1: Elite
- Tier 2: On the cusp of elite
- Tier 3: Veterans with juice still in the tank
- Tier 4: Good players with boom-or-bust tendencies
It's important to understand that Diggs is pretty much automatically eliminated from Tier 3 just because he's been in the league for only two years. Even still, it's surprising the Cowboys' cornerback ranks 21st.
In fact, he ranks below two former Cowboys on the list. Byron Jones is 20th (Tier 4), and Chidobe Awuzie headlines Tier 4 at 18th himself. Specifically, PFF outlines penalties against and yards allowed as justification.
While it's clear where the controversy stems from, it's also hard to ignore the plays Diggs has made on the ball.
Not to mention, plenty of stats reflect how dominant Diggs was while playing aggressively, including the fact that 616 yards of the 1,068 he allowed happened during garbage time, per Next Gen Stats.
As he gets ready for a 2022 season in which he will be unlikely to match his 2021 interceptions, Trevon Diggs disagrees with those that call him a risk-taker. For him, it's something simpler than that. He's a football player. He "plays football."
Featured image via Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
