Is Cowboys' Trevon Diggs on Verge of Stardom?

Dallas Cowboys might have a budding superstar in their secondary

The Dallas Cowboys escaped SoFi Stadium with a 20-17 win, thanks in large part to a host of mistakes from the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday afternoon. 

Along the way, Dallas gave up over 400 yards of offense, including 338 through the air for Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.

Suffice it to say, the Cowboys are far from perfect.

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However, there is one thing the Cowboys can definitively take away from Sunday's sloppy win -- second-year cornerback Trevon Diggs is going to be a special player. If he's not already.

How special? That remains to be seen. But if Sunday was any indication, Diggs could be on his way to becoming one of the top defensive backs in football.

Selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Diggs had high expectations coming into Dallas. However, those expectations were somewhat tempered due to his slip out of the first round. 

In his first year in the NFL, Diggs had his ups and downs, and sometimes too often, it was more of the latter. Fast forward to 2021, and Diggs is a totally different player and is constantly tasked with tracking the opposition's best receiver. 

In the season opener, it was Tampa Bay's Mike Evans. Diggs allowed just one catch on five targets.

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On Sunday, it was Chargers' No. 1 target Keenan Allen, and Diggs did not disappoint, totaling six tackles, and making consistent plays on the ball, including one of the more impressive interceptions you will see in an NFL game this season. 

Just as importantly, Diggs relished the challenge of facing a receiver of Allen's caliber. 

"I traveled with him every time," Diggs said. "Sometimes we were in zone, so I couldn’t really get right there, but I was following him the whole game. He’s a good wide receiver, real good. It was a good competition today. I enjoyed it."

Sure, Allen surpassed 100 yards receiving, but as one of the NFL's top wideouts, and with the Cowboys' issue's in other areas of the secondary, that was almost expected.

Still, Diggs held Allen to just four receptions, and he had to fight for every play he made on the day. 

Not to mention he became the first Cowboy with interceptions in the first two games of a regular season since Lee Roy Jordan in 1975.

Not bad for a second-year corner who on Sunday made just his 12th start in the NFL.

Is Diggs a bonafide superstar?

Maybe not yet. But he seems to be on his way. 

CONTINUE READING: 'Different' or 'Deja Vu'? Cowboys Win at Chargers


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Matt Galatzan
MATT GALATZAN

Senior Editor/Columnist