If you were an opponent of the Dallas Cowboys in 2021 and loved to throw the football a lot, chances are Trevon Diggs isn't your favorite player. In his second season, Diggs amassed 11 interceptions which led the NFL and was the most in the league since 1981.

Diggs earned first-team All-Pro honors for his efforts and even received votes for Defensive Player of the Year. He's established himself as one of the top defenders in football, and Pro Football Focus thinks he's the X-factor in the Cowboys getting back to the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

Ben Linsey on Diggs:

"Cornerback Trevon Diggs became one of the most polarizing players in the NFL last season due to his boom-or-bust, risk-taking play style. Diggs' 1,016 passing yards allowed into his coverage in 2021 led the NFL, but he was still a valuable component of the Cowboys' better-than-expected defense because interceptions are such high-leverage plays, and Diggs came away with 11 of them. The question now becomes how replicable those results are this season."

Diggs giving up over 1,00 yards has been highly debated with PFF's unique metrics. However, they were on point about Diggs and his effect on the Cowboys' defense.

Thanks to Diggs and his 11 takeaways, the Cowboys led the NFL in interceptions with 26, and their 34 turnovers overall also ranked No. 1 for last season. It's difficult for any team to repeat such a huge year when it comes to taking the ball away. But, if Diggs can somehow reach half of his interception total from last season, and maybe mix in a few forced fumbles, the Cowboys can have short fields for their offense who are more than capable of putting up points (led the NFL in scoring last season).

That's what gets teams over the hump, those extra possessions. In the case of the Cowboys who can light up the scoreboard, this can build comfortable leads and force teams to become one-dimensional which will result in a lot of victories.

Diggs has only been playing cornerback full-time since his second year at Alabama in 2017. Despite his limited time at the position, Diggs has used his knowledge as a former wide receiver and mixed it with his elite ball skills and speed to be one of the NFL's top defensive playmakers, snagging 14 total interceptions in his first 28 games.

It'll be interesting to see how Diggs can elevate the Cowboys' defense in 2022 seeing how his impact has increased every season so far.

Feature image via Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK