Cowboys shouldn't balk at PFF's projected contract extension for Trevon Diggs

A cost of hitting home runs in the draft in consecutive years is navigating signing those draft selections to contract extensions four years down the road. The Dallas Cowboys are currently experiencing this with 2020 and 2021 draft gems CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs and Micah Parsons, respectively.

Luckily, the Cowboys have another year until they have to extend Parsons, but the bill is coming due on Lamb and Diggs.

While Dallas can afford to wait to extend Lamb after they picked up his fifth-year option -- though it'd be smart to sign Lamb as early as possible -- Diggs is entering the final year of his rookie deal as a former second round pick.

Because of that, there might be more urgency in Frisco to get Diggs' contract signed and sealed before training camp. As a surefire top 10 corner who's still ascending, it'd be smart to get ahead of the market.

What might the final product look like? Pro Football Focus believes it could look something like four years for $81 million with $57.5 million guaranteed.

What will a Cowboys contract extension for Trevon Diggs look like?

Like most positions, the Cowboys have to comply with the ever-evolving cornerback market. What they shouldn't do, however, is balk at how much money Diggs will ask for.

The Chargers gave J.C. Jackson a five-year, $82.5 million deal last offseason, but the Browns have since given Denzel Ward $100 million over five years, and the Packers (rightfully) made Jaire Alexander the game's highest-paid corner to the tune of $84 million over four years.

At $20.25 million annually, PFF's projection would thrust Diggs ahead of Ward for the second-highest paid corner behind Alexander. In terms of total value, Diggs' $81 million would check in seventh, while his $57.5 million in practical guarantees would be fourth behind Alexander, Marlon Humphrey and Marshon Lattimore.

These are deserved rankings for Diggs, who's tied for the NFL lead with 17 interceptions since he entered the league in 2020. He's still susceptible to giving up big plays, but he's become markedly more discipline in coverage since his rookie and sophomore years.

According to PFF, Diggs allowed 60 or more receiving yards in just four games last season and reduced his missed tackle rate to 3.4% after it crept above 10% in each of his first two years.

Throw in the fact that Diggs has played 49 of a possible 53 games in his career and there's zero reason for the Cowboys to have any second thoughts about making him one of the game's wealthiest corners.

The importance of having an upper-echelon cornerback in today's pass-heavy NFL cannot be understated and Diggs' contract won't look nearly as bad in two or three years after the next crop of young CBs get signed.

It really is that simple.

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