Photo Courtesy: Dallas Cowboys
ARLINGTON, TEXAS — Cowboys’ rookie Trevon Diggs has received additional opportunities to showcase his ability as veteran cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis both nurse minor injuries.
Diggs consistently fights for the football every play and coaches are taking notice. Even the owner and general manager, Jerry Jones, touched on the newcomer’s talent during the Blue White Scrimmage.
“ Boy he can play the ball and we see it every practice, “ Jones commented. “He believes the ball is as much his as the receiver’s and it is.”
The Alabama product is a former receiver, which gives him an edge and more of a desire to get his hands on the football. The lengthy ball hawk does not want to settle for pass breakups. Diggs is only satisfied with interceptions. That tenacity is translating onto the field and the second-round pick is living up to if not exceeding expectations. He has certainly shown to be a viable replacement for Byron Jones.
Defensive backs coach Maurice Linguist described his ball skills.
“ I mean, he’s a former wide receiver. I don’t know that you can get any better than that. He’s putting them on tape right now in terms of being able to adjust to the ball and attack the ball with Coach Harris doing a good job with him as well. He’s doing a good job in meetings, and I like his confidence and he’s got a quiet demeanor about himself. When he gets between those white lines, you really see his personality come out.”
At Alabama, Diggs played both offense and defense as a true freshman before Nick Saban switched him from receiver to corner. He primarily lined up as the left cornerback in the Crimson Tide’s press heavy scheme but also covered inside receivers.
Throughout the virtual offseason program, Diggs worked out with his brother Stefon who is one of the best receivers in the league. Trevon took advice from the veteran and studied the nuances of each route in the NFL’s route tree and how to combat them to come away with the football.
The training paid off. During practice, he has shown ease on the field and has matched receivers stride-for-stride on routes with excellent ball-tracking skills. Diggs has shown great instincts off the line of scrimmage and has the making to become an elite corner for the Cowboys for years to come. He is on the right track.
