NFL execs leave Cowboys cornerbacks off list of the league's 10 best

Dallas has two young stars at cornerback but NFL executives don't believe either is a top-10 talent

Dec 24, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse (27) and cornerback DaRon Bland (26) and cornerback Trevon Diggs (7) and safety Malik Hooker (28) celebrate after Bland recovers a Philadelphia Eagles fumble during the second half at AT&T Stadium. / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

On paper the Dallas Cowboys appear to have two of the best young players at the most difficult position in the modern game: cornerback. Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland have put up some remarkable numbers the last few years.

Diggs led the NFL with 11 interceptions in the 2021 season and Bland did the same last year with nine, including an incredible five pick-sixes.

There's more to playing cornerback than just getting picks and deflections, though. It seems that some league executives find the rest of their game lacking, at least based on these latest rankings from ESPN. According to a new poll of NFL coaches, scouts and executives, neither Diggs nor Bland are among the top-10 cornerbacks in the league going into the 2024 season. Bland got some votes at least and Diggs earned an honorable mention:

"Diggs has been steady for the Cowboys' defense. In four seasons, he has racked up 18 interceptions and two forced fumbles. "He was hard to place because of the health issue [ACL tear in September] but he's still one of the best ball hawks and he's tried to play more disciplined in recent years," an AFC executive said."

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and there are a bunch of superb cornerback ranked above them, but this feels like a bit of a snub. Both Diggs and Bland are strong tacklers for their position and neither one has allowed a passer rating over 86.1 in their careers.

In any case, what matters for the Cowboys is they have two very capable young players at a critical position, and that will eventually help them get over the hump and make a deep post season run. In theory.

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