Dallas Cowboys’ Trevon Diggs focused on blocking out the criticism while building on historic season

FRISCO, Texas — Trevon Diggs had sufficient of social media through the Dallas Cowboys’ coaching camp in Oxnard, California.

A video went viral of second-year receiver Simi Fehoko, who didn’t catch a cross as a rookie final season, beating Diggs, an All-Professional nook, on a deep cross in a one-on-one drill. It didn’t matter that there was neither a cross rush nor security assist — it fed right into a narrative that Diggs offers up too many huge performs.

Diggs ended up deleting his Twitter account the identical day.

“It is poisonous,” Diggs stated of social media. “I often don’t be on Twitter lots, however I’m in camp. I’m attempting to focus, attempting to lock in and simply be higher day-after-day.”

On one hand, Diggs’ second season within the NFL was historic due to his 11 interceptions. On the opposite, he was the one cornerback to permit greater than 1,000 receiving yards to opponents final season, in accordance with Professional Soccer Focus. Diggs is coming into his third season within the NFL and sixth as a defensive again after switching over from extensive receiver his sophomore season at Alabama.

“I really feel like I’ve grown up lots,” Diggs stated. “I do know quite a lot of soccer and have seen quite a lot of soccer now so it’s simply form of pure to me and I do really feel lots higher than final yr.”

Earlier than Diggs’ 11 interceptions in 2021, the final participant within the NFL to document that many picks in a season was Cowboys defensive again Everson Partitions in 1981. Diggs’ seven interceptions within the first six video games have been probably the most since Corridor of Famer Rod Woodson did it in 1993.

Diggs additionally returned two interceptions for touchdowns. He added 21 cross deflections, changing into the primary participant since that stat began being tracked in 1984 to have 11 interceptions and greater than 20 cross breakups in a season. He grew to become the primary Cowboys cornerback to earn first-team All-Professional honors since Deion Sanders in 1999.

However on the detrimental aspect of the stability sheet, Diggs was the closest defender in permitting 790 yards on 46-of-86 passing and 4 touchdowns, in accordance with NFL Subsequent Gen stats. In an ESPN survey of greater than 50 league executives, coaches, scouts and gamers, Diggs was rated the Tenth-best cornerback. For what it’s price, within the Madden rankings, Diggs checked in at No. 19 amongst cornerbacks.

Cowboys vice chairman of participant personnel Will McClay calls piling on Diggs’ play “clickbait.”

“The [hardest position in the NFL] is quarterback. The second-hardest is nook within the NFL,” McClay stated. “And No. 1, to have the ability to match up and canopy the very best receiver that he does typically, to have the ability to go and get the soccer, all these various things that he does, he has to help the run, he’s an All-Professional participant. And there’s been only a few that do the whole lot 100% full on the prime degree.”

That’s to not excuse the massive performs, particularly since he has confirmed to be prone to double strikes.

“Ain’t no person good however attempting to be good on the sphere and clear up some technical issues,” Diggs stated.

Secondary coach Al Harris likes to remind people who Diggs stays a younger participant.

“The blokes are going to make performs,” Harris stated of opposing receivers. “Can we count on for our guys to not make performs? No, however [opponents] are going to make performs. There’s some areas that we have to clear up and that’s what we work at.”

The Cowboys drafted Diggs within the second spherical in 2020 after they made no actual effort to retain cornerback Byron Jones earlier than free company started. What was the knock on Jones, a 2015 first-round decide? He couldn’t take the ball away. He had two interceptions in 5 seasons. But in 2019, he gave up fewer than 400 yards whereas lining up in opposition to a number of the prime receivers within the recreation.

Now the Cowboys have Diggs, who had 14 interceptions in his first 28 video games, and he’s knocked for permitting too many yards.

Diggs’ interception purpose in 2022 is to prime his 2021 complete. The final time a participant recorded consecutive double-digit interception seasons was Tom Keane of the Dallas Texans and Baltimore Colts in 1952-53. Can somebody count on that from Diggs once more?

“You possibly can’t,” Harris stated. “I don’t both however, you realize, you simply set your objectives excessive.”

Baltimore Ravens normal supervisor Eric DeCosta joked {that a} workforce needs “each,” in the case of cornerback. One who doesn’t quit yards and takes the ball away. There’s simply not lots of these guys strolling the earth.

“It’s a really, very difficult place to play, in all probability one of many hardest in sports activities to play,” DeCosta stated, echoing McClay. “You’ve acquired to have velocity, athletic skill, however you’ve additionally acquired to have a warrior’s mentality.”

Possibly deleting his Twitter account gave an excessive amount of credence to the noise, but when Diggs’ confidence has ever been affected by the performs allowed, he has hidden it effectively.

“Hate comes with success,” Diggs stated. “All I can do is management what I can management on the sphere and let my play communicate for myself. I can’t reply to everyone. I can’t reply to everyone, so I’d relatively not say nothing in any respect and simply carry out on the sphere.”