Ranking the Dallas Cowboys top three defensive concerns

#2 – Replacing Byron Jones, More turnovers

While pass rush is the Cowboys’ biggest defensive issue entering the new season, the absence of Pro Bowl corner Byron Jones is a close second. Losing Jones was a major blow for the defense despite his severe lack of takeaways over his career, just two interceptions over five seasons.

Creating turnovers will be a much bigger focus for the defense in 2020 under Mike Nolan. Dallas posted just seven interceptions last season, which was tied for lowest amount in the NFL. The team’s 17 total takeaways in 2019 ranked them tied for 25th.

Yet, the Cowboys still have the trio of Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, and Anthony Brown in-house. That gives Dallas a good balance of talent and experience as a basement of solid play. You have to believe these three could keep the ship afloat as starters from day one.

But Dallas did add several wildcards to the mix. Most notably, second-round selection Trevon Diggs, the cornerback out of Alabama. Diggs was a borderline first-round talent that fell to the Cowboys 51st overall. If he is able to crack the starting lineup in year one, it would help to cement the position beyond Awuzie and Lewis whose rookie contracts expire at the end of the season.

But Diggs isn’t alone. The Cowboys also snagged Tulsa’s Reggie Robinson II in the fourth round and added veterans Daryl Worley and Maurice Canady in free agency. In total, the Cowboys have 11 players on their roster currently listed at the cornerback position. But the lingering question remains will any member of this group elevate their play enough to make fans forget about the loss of Byron Jones.