(Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports)
Thanks to 45 years on this rock we call Earth, and time spent as a lawyer, a coach, a husband and a father, I’ve found that it’s often best to have the difficult conversations up front.
So we begin with Trevon Diggs.
There will be some who wonder why Diggs is not higher on this list, and those individuals will point to his league-leading 11 interceptions last season, as well as the 11 “forced incompletions” charted by Pro Football Focus, which placed him 11th in the league among cornerbacks. The 11 interceptions Diggs snared in 2021 were the most by an NFL cornerback since another Dallas defender, Everson Walls back in 1981.
(If 11 is your favorite number than today is your lucky day…)
However, others will point to the 1,068 receiving yards he surrendered last season, which was the most by any cornerback in the NFL, and Diggs was the only CB to give up over 1,000 receiving yards a year ago. In addition, Diggs was flagged 11 times — there’s that number again — which also led cornerbacks a season ago.
When he was not grabbing interceptions, he was getting beaten in coverage.
There is a huge “risk versus reward” discussion to be had with Diggs, which is something to look for at a later date. His inclusion here is done with an eye towards the future. While one might expect those interception numbers to dip, given the fluky nature of turnovers, there is also the promise that Diggs takes a step forward, and cuts down on the mistakes in the year ahead. With that promise, he slides onto this list.
For now.
Because while there are examples of him making impressive plays in coverage, such as this interception against the Washington Commanders where he matches Terry McLaurin stride-for-stride:
There are also moments like this, where he bites on the double move from A.J. Green and gives up a big gain in the passing game:
If Diggs looks more like the defender in the first clip next season, and not the second, then you can expect to see him rise on this list next summer.
