Cowboys Next Man Up After Diggs Injury: DaRon Bland?

The Dallas Cowboys will turn to DaRon Bland as they hope he can help fill the void of star cornerback Trevon Diggs, who suffered a season-ending ACL tear on Wednesday.

The Dallas Cowboys are looking to the next man up after star cornerback Trevon Diggs went down with a torn ACL in practice on Wednesday. 

The 25-year-old Diggs came into the season with a new contract as the Cowboys signed him to a five-year, $97 million deal, which through two games, he continued to prove to be worth every penny of as he recorded four tackles, three passes defended, a forced fumble and an interception. 

Now, with Diggs out for the season, the Cowboys will test their cornerback depth, which was strengthened in the offseason with the trade for veteran corner Stephon Gilmore and then maybe further reinforced as they swapped Kelvin Joseph for Noah Igbinoghene with the Miami Dolphins after the conclusion of the preseason. 

DaRon Bland of the Cowboys / © Ed Mulholland, USA TODAY

As Gilmore's status as the No. 1 corner in Dallas is reinforced, DaRon Bland will likely become his new partner on the perimeter. The second-year corner, who broke out for Dallas last season after injuries to then-starters Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis, saw him transition inside and out for the Cowboys secondary.  

Bland started in eight of his 17 appearances last season and totaled 54 tackles, five interceptions, and seven passes defended. 

Two games into this season, Bland has continued to play at a high level for the Cowboys, starting as the nickel, recording a pick-six in the season-opening win versus the New York Giants while also allowing the second-lowest passer rating at 16.7, only trailing Diggs.

Lowest passer rating allowed by CBs:
Trevon Diggs, Cowboys 1.0
DaRon Bland, Cowboys 16.7
Steven Nelson, Texans 40.3
Rasul Douglas, Packers 41.9
Isaiah Oliver, 49ers 52.1
Christian Benford, Bills 52.1

— Steve Palazzolo (@StevePalazzolo_) September 18, 2023

With Bland moving back outside, it will open up the nickel position for Jourdan Lewis to regain his starting role. The 28-year-old Lewis just made his season debut after recovering from the foot injury that sidelined him last season. 

Some have suggested that the Cowboys also can get help via free agency, something they often did last year as they brought in a host of veterans to help patch the hole left behind by the injuries to Brown and Lewis. However, with rookie Eric Scott, Israel Mukuamu, and Igbinoghene, Dallas already has a multitude of options to help deal with the loss of Diggs.