The Dallas Cowboys had a commendable offseason as far as bringing in talent outside the organization, but one thing they failed to accomplish was replacing Jourdan Lewis.
While it's not easy to replace a bulldog like Lewis who's essential on the field and in the locker room, the front office could have done more in the draft and free agency to offset Lewis signing with the Jaguars as soon as free agency opened. It hurts that Trevon Diggs and Shavon Revel aren't healthy, but it's not like Dallas wasn't privy to their injuries going into the offseason.
It still remains to be seen who will start in the vacant nickel position, but a sneaky contender has emerged over the last few weeks in the form of undrafted free agent Zion Childress.
Cowboys UDFA Zion Childress may replace Jourdan Lewis by Week 1
The battle for the nickel spot is seemingly a three-horse race between Kemon Hall, Israel Mukuamu and Childress. Hall did not play well in Week 1 of preseason, allowing four catches on four targets for 37 yards, per PFF. Mukuamu, meanwhile, had the play of the game with an acrobatic interception.
On a play-by-play basis, though, Childress flashed the most in coverage and against the run.
Only Mukuamu had a higher PFF grade than Childress' 77.0, but his mark was buoyed by the aforementioned INT. Childress tied for second on the team with two defensive stops and led the team with six tackles. He was only targeted once because his coverage was simply that sticky.
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Beyond the box score, Childress showed excellent instincts. His play recognition showed up on multiple snaps, recording a tackle for loss on a nickel blitz and being a split-second away from a potential pick-six on a telegraphed pass from Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett.
All of the buzz from camp has painted Childress as a ball magnet. That manifested in the first preseason game. The Kentucky product might be able to separate himself in the nickel battle if defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus plays more man against the Ravens this Saturday.
In a vacuum, Childress has more “Jourdan Lewis” in him than Hall or Mukuamu. While Hall might be the starting nickel if the season started tomorrow, Childress could leapfrog him if he continues on his current trajectory over the next two weeks.