Dallas Cowboys address defense with cornerback Trevon Diggs at 51

The Dallas Cowboys needed to come away with secondary players in the draft. And they found themselves a cornerback prospect in the second round.

The Dallas Cowboys went best player available with their first-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft on Thursday night, adding Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to their roster with the 17th overall selection. The Cowboys were expected to address their defensive needs on Day Two.

And America’s Team did just that with the 51st pick in the season round, selecting Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs. The younger brother of Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stephon Diggs, the young defensive back who used to be a wideout himself fills a major need for the Cowboys.

Last month, Dallas lost their Pro Bowl starting cornerback in Byron Jones, who agreed to a massive five-year, $82.5 million deal with the Miami Dolphins as an unrestricted free agent. And with potential starters in Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis, both entering the final year of their rookie contracts, the future of the cornerback position in Dallas was in jeopardy.

In Diggs, the Cowboys find themselves an ascending player who secures the position beyond the 2021 offseason. The presence of fellow corners in Awuzie, Lewis, Anthony Brown, and the newly-signed Maurice Canady means the young defender will not be pressured to start in his rookie season.

At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, Diggs is an instinctual defender who uses his frame and length to contest passes and excels in press-man coverage. NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein compares his abilities to five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Aqib Talib.

Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network sees the perfect system for Diggs being one that allows him to operate primarily in a deep third as a perimeter corner and requires him to play bail technique.

As a senior at Alabama last season, Trevon Diggs recorded 37 combined tackles, three interceptions, eight pass deflections, and two defensive touchdowns in 12 games.