Dallas Cowboys: Breaking down the cornerback position

After losing star cornerback Byron Jones in free agency, the Dallas Cowboys have some uncertainty at the cornerback position.

The Dallas Cowboys lost their only consistent coverage corner this recent free agency. Former Cowboys corner Byron Jones signed with the Miami Dolphins on a five-year, $82.5 million contract, which at the time made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. While Jones only had two interceptions in his five-year career in Dallas, he was very reliable at limiting the opposing team’s number one receiver throughout games.

With the loss of Jones, cornerback Chidobe Awuzie becomes the teams’ number one corner on the depth chart heading into the 2020 NFL season. Awuzie, a former second-round pick, is athletic and has good size for a corner.

He has shown flashes of being a good player in the secondary, however, he had poor moments in the 2019 season, seeming to frequently give up third-down conversions in coverage. With this being said, Awuzie is the team’s sure number one corner heading into the season. After Awuzie, there is much uncertainty on where players will land on the depth chart.

Dallas Cowboys Familiar Faces

Following directly behind Awuzie on the cornerback depth chart heading into the season, are two familiar faces. Cornerbacks Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis. Brown signed a contract extension with the Cowboys this offseason, a three-year, $15.5 million deal.

The Cowboys have felt comfortable with Brown as their slot cornerback in previous years, favoring him over Lewis alongside Jones and Awuzie on the field. However, Brown started just four games for the team in 2019 while battling injury.

Lewis has made his name throughout the Cowboys fan base as a fan-favorite. Despite former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett and his coaching staff not favoring Lewis as a starter due to his lack of size, he made the most of his opportunities, having four interceptions and recovering three fumbles in his three seasons with the team.

Lewis, who will likely be a starter heading into Week One, is looking for a big year with the team as he is on his contract year.

New faces looking to make a name for themselves

The Cowboys spent a second-round pick on Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs in the 2020 NFL draft. Diggs has great size for a corner, standing 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds.He has great measurables for a professional cornerback, with good speed and coverage skills. He also produced four interceptions for the Crimson Tide in his career.

The Cowboys also selected cornerback Reggie Robinson III with their fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft. Robinson produced three interceptions and two forced fumbles for Tulsa in the 2019 season. He offers a great situational role to the defense and should be very valuable on special teams.

Behind Diggs and Robinson comes several players who will be fighting for a roster spot in the 2020 season. Cornerbacks Daryl Worley and Savion Smith both signed with the team this past free agency. They will compete with Cowboys cornerback C.J. Goodwin through training camp to ensure a spot on the roster heading into Week One.

The Dallas Cowboys will hope to compete in the 2020 season as a contender for the Super Bowl. With high expectations and a talented roster, the cornerback unit remains a question mark for the team heading into the season. With a talented front seven, the defense could make or break depending on the secondary’s performance throughout the season.