Cowboys rookie CB Trevon Diggs could be the deciding factor on defense in 2020

There are a few things Cowboys fans have been asking for over recent history. One of those things has been more turnovers on defense, a problem that has bedeviled the Cowboys for a while. In the 2020 draft, the Cowboys made a pick they hope will help with that issue. Trevon Diggs is known for his ability at the cornerback position after spending all four years of his college career playing for Nick Saban at the University of Alabama.

Very rarely are mid-second-round picks looked at as make-or-break players for a team, especially in year one, but for Trevon Diggs there will be a ton of weight thrown on his shoulders from the jump. Diggs may not walk into training camp as the teams CB1, but there’s a very good chance by the time week one rolls around, the rookie second-round pick will be lined up on the boundary opposite side of Chidobe Awuzie.

With no real sure-fire outside corners on the roster, Diggs has as good as shot as any to takeover as the teams best cornerback from the start. Awuzie will likely get the chance to prove himself as Dallas’ CB1, but late-season struggles, and lack of confidence playing the football in the air has held Awuzie from making the jump many hoped for. Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis will likely battle for the teams starting nickel role, leaving Trevon Diggs, Reggie Robinson, and Daryl Worley in a competition for that second boundary cornerback spot.

Where the rookie corner has a leg up on some of his competition is his experience playing multiple coverages at Alabama, something we’re expecting to see from Mike Nolan and company in 2020. From a traits perspective, Diggs is likely the most intriguing option at CB2 given his size, length, and athleticism, though Reggie Robinson makes a strong case in the traits perspective as well. Diggs also proved in 2019 to be able to take the football away, something we’ve also heard the team will put a big emphasis on moving forward.

Where Diggs is going to have to improve is from a technique standpoint by showing growth in his ability to mirror receivers off the line of scrimmage and out of their breaks. It’s tough for athletes to become more flexible, but there are instances when going from college to pro players better understand how to use their bodies, and be more efficient movers, something Diggs did struggle with some at Alabama.

Coming into the league, Diggs has more pressure on him than most second-round picks, but he truly could be the deciding factor for the defense in 2020. If Diggs shows up to play, the team should feel really good about their top four cornerbacks, but if the rookie struggles early, things could go downhill quickly for the 2020 Cowboys defense, a defense disappointed big-time in 2019.

Can Trevon Diggs step up and be the instinctive, ball-hawking corner that the Cowboys have been searching for, for what seems like forever now? We’ll find out soon enough. If his offseason workout videos matched up against older brother Stefon Diggs are any indication of what’s to come, the Cowboys got a steal in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.