Dallas Cowboys: How much pressure does this rookie feel?

The Dallas Cowboys have done a good job of drafting the last few years but the last two drafts, in particular, have been nothing short of phenomenal. Last year’s draft class was fantastic but this year’s group could have more of an impact.

Cowboys rookie defensive weapon Micah Parsons has been all over the place. His ability to put pressure on an offense is extremely rare. How do you even come up with the conclusion that Parsons would beat interior lineman by being the setup or primary stunt man?

I don’t see the premiere NFL defenders in this league move around as much as Parsons so my thoughts on this coaching staff basically creating a new defensive position will be inbound shortly. It is truly an incredible job by Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and his staff. Third-round rookie defensive linemen are also making some serious noise. Osa Odigizuwa would get my vote today if I couldn’t select Micah Parsons as the defensive rookie of the year.

The pressure to deliver is real to Dallas Cowboys defensive rookies

Odigizuwa has more than soften the blow of the loss of fellow lineman Neville Gallimore. Yes, I cannot wait until Gallimore lines up next to Osa but Odigizuwa has been such a force that the calls for this team to trade for a defensive tackle have almost vanished.

Nose tackle Quinton Bohanna and cornerback Nashon Wright haven’t even been mentioned but their skillsets will be used more in the future. Bohanna has not started a game yet but he has contributed in all four games so far this season. Not bad for a sixth-round pick.

So all of that takes me to my main point. How much pressure is second-round rookie cornerback Kelvin Joseph feeling? He obviously sees the success of his fellow classmates and he can probably sense the need for an upgrade over the corner spot opposite Trevon Diggs. The question has to be, can Joseph be better than current starter Anthony Brown?

Joseph was not going to supplant Brown if he stayed healthy but a rotation opposite of Diggs could have given him the much-needed reps to build for the future while contributing in the now. Joseph was just as gifted as the cornerbacks who were drafted ahead of him in the first round.

Trevon Diggs should be a great example of not worrying about when you were selected and more about fit. Diggs was drafted in the second round yet there were seven cornerbacks drafted ahead of him.

Joseph had five corners go ahead of him in the draft but he could not have gotten a better situation. The need for an upgrade at the corner spot is apparent but he also has the support of a coaching staff that either has to or wants to play rookies without fear.

Other than Parsons, the previous coaching staff would have probably left all of these guys on the bench. Parsons probably would just be an off-the-ball linebacker and not the guy creating havoc we have all come to enjoy if I’m being honest.

It is important for fans to realize that what these rookies are doing is not normal so expecting Joseph to come back from injury and straight into the starting lineup is a reach. Some might even expect the same results as Trevon Diggs and that is just not realistic.

If Joseph can get back onto the field and contribute as a rotation piece until the coaching staff feels comfortable with him, I am happy. Honestly, I just want to see a young player get valuable playing time while learning from his mistakes.

Growth is the number one thing I would like to see from Joseph. The coaching staff needs to devise a way to keep him from feeling the pressure of having to perform like a big portion of his rookie mates.

I will say that if Joseph can continue this run by rookies and becomes a decent cornerback opposite of Trevon Diggs, this unit could prompt some old-school Cowboys fans to break out the Doomsday Defense moniker.

I would even go as far as saying that if Joseph can upgrade the cornerback spot, this team has more than a decent chance to be one of the last two teams standing. Kelvin Joseph will be back to playing football fairly soon but expecting him to be the cornerback savior is not on my mind. Having him contribute to what is already happening is the start that I am looking for.