One of the quieter moves the Dallas Cowboys made this offseason was signing 25-year-old cornerback Daryl Worley to a one-year deal. The signing came just days after the conclusion of the 2020 NFL Draft where the Cowboys added two more cornerbacks, Trevon Diggs and Reggie Robinson II.
The acquisitions of Diggs and Robinson got more buzz than Worley, but the veteran brings with him a pretty solid résumé. After being drafted in the third round by the Carolina Panthers in 2016, Worley has played four years in the league and had some decent production.
Worley had arguably his best season in the league to date during his rookie year. The former West Virginia Mountaineer posted 63 total tackles, nine passed defensed, and one interception. Worley has recorded at least one interception in all four of his seasons in the NFL, and has registered 34 passes defensed in 56 career games.
Last season, Worley was a member of the Oakland Raiders. On a team that had some big time struggles in the secondary, Worley was one decently bright spot. According to Pro Football Focus, he graded out with a coverage grade above 65 in eight games. In three games, he received a grade above 80.
Idk much about Daryl Worley, but I do know this play is essentially what the #Cowboys are looking for in CBs.
— John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 29, 2020
Aligns in press, motors out while staying square, squeezes Kenny Golladay to the sideline, attacks the ball in the air & comes down with a mighty impressive INT. pic.twitter.com/YjOgfDusw8
According to Pro Football Reference, Worley played 939 defensive snaps, 718 at wide corner and 78 at slot, for the Raiders in 2019. That was good for 89.94% of their total defensive snaps. He also contributed a little bit on special teams, playing 98 special teams snaps.
Dallas Cowboys Signed CB Daryl Worley Quick Film Observation Study https://t.co/CJNwtEwFSC
— Law Nation (@LawNation3) April 29, 2020
Worley will brings a few key things to the Dallas defense, one of those is versatility with the ability to line up outside and in the slot. He also has the size to matchup against tight ends, something the Cowboys will need one of their corners to succeed at after losing Byron Jones in free agency. Worley also fits the new scheme of more press-man corner Dallas plans to play under new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan.
Having Worley in the fold also allows Dallas to have he, Jourdan Lewis, and Anthony Brown as veterans who can come in and start Week One in case Diggs struggles early on. It also allows them to be versatile and potentially move Chidobe Awuzie to the safety spot.
Worley is not a guy that is going to come in and completely change the Dallas defense, but adding him has a chance to be one of the better under-the-radar moves of the offseason.