The Revival of a 26-Year-Old Cornerback

The Cowboys' defense, with new defense coordinator Matt Eberflus and a Micah Parsons-less edge rushing group, in their season opener, presented a tale of two halves. In the first half, they struggled to contain Jalen Hurts, who ran for two touchdowns. The linebackers had difficulty in the middle, where Hurts inflicted most of his damage in the air. The second half of the game showcased a stark contrast, as the Cowboys' defense effectively shut down Saquon Barkley. The standout unit for Dallas was undoubtedly the secondary, with Trevon Diggs emerging as a key player despite facing significant criticism during the offseason.

Diggs faced major criticism for the last two seasons in Dallas from the media and even the front office. It was going to a point where many believed he was going to be cut or traded. Diggs also took a different path of recovery this summer, opting to go to Florida rather than stay in Dallas for recovery. Diggs was not expected to go by several people; however, with the effort he put in away from Dallas, Diggs was not even a lock to play this game and entered the game at what he believed to be 85%. 

Trevon Diggs, returning from his second major injury, played just 26 snaps, but he made every snap matter when he was on the field. Diggs had a 76.1 coverage grade and was targeted 0 times. Notably, Diggs “held” star receiver A.J. Brown to zero targets while he was covering him, and Brown finished the game with only one catch, which occurred in the final moments. Brown would also have a 0.0 separation win rate, meaning it is by far one of the worst games he’s had in his career. When Diggs can play at this level for the Cowboys, it’ll be hard to throw on them. The duo of DaRon Bland and Diggs has played a few games together, but when they can, they are one of the best duos in the NFL. They will have to play at a high level to help the Cowboys' young linebacking and edge rushing group.