When the Dallas Cowboys lost Byron Jones to free agency it left a gaping hole at the cornerback position, and it was addressed expeditiously. Trevon Diggs was taken at 51 in the second round and will likely be the team’s CB1. Reggie Robinson and his versatility will contribute on special teams and sub-packages. Daryl Worley, who played for the Oakland Raiders last season, will also compete for snaps in a crowded cornerback room. However, the Cowboys have several long-standing cornerbacks looking to earn or validate lucrative deals this season.
Chidobe Awuzie
Just looking on the surface at the numbers you’ll see that Awuzie has improved every season he’s been in the NFL including a career-high in tackles (79) and passes defended (14) in 2019. Awuzie normally has really good coverage on the receivers that he faces but he does have one major flaw and that’s getting his head around to see the ball. This glitch in his game has been frustrating for a while and a big reason why he only has three interceptions in his first three seasons.
In college, Awuzie also played some safety and it’s been reported that a switch to that position could be in the near future. The thought is that keeping the ball in front of him will allow him to read and react and make plays. He’s talented enough to keep one of the starting roles at cornerback, but if it should take a downward turn, his versatility could land him a new home at safety as he tries to earn his first big payday.
Anthony Brown
Brown has been a pretty solid performer since entering the league in 2016. In his first three seasons, he averaged over 50 tackles and nine passes defended per season. Also, he was reliable appearing in 47 of 48 games with 29 starts. Last season was a rocky one for Brown as his play was up and down and his season was cut short by a triceps injury.
Nonetheless, the organization didn’t hesitate to resign Brown to a three-year, 15.5 million dollar deal in March. Even though he plays mostly in the slot, Brown has also lined up at right and left cornerback as well. Now, he’ll not only be challenged to carve out a role but also make the Cowboys look smart for retaining him.
Jourdan Lewis
Lewis has had quite an interesting ride in the league since he was drafted in the third round in 2017. He impressed as a rookie with 54 tackles and 10 passes defended in seven starts, but things took a turn a year later. When the Cowboys hired Kirs Richard to coach the secondary Lewis got lost in the shuffle due to his lack of size and only registered one start and 12 tackles in 2018.
He caught a break in 2019 when the aforementioned Brown, his direct competition for the starting role at slot corner, went down with an injury and he took full advantage. Appearing in all 16 games with five starts, Lewis racked up 51 tackles, six passes defended, four sacks, two interceptions (tied team lead), and a fumble recovery (returned for a touchdown). Now, as he enters a contract year, Lewis is excited about a “clean slate” with the new coaching staff as he expressed on the team’s website back in June:
“It’s definitely a clean slate,” Lewis said. “You know everybody has a clean slate and they’re just looking at what we’ve done in the past. They’re looking at the sample size that they do have to go out there and watch us and watch the film and the movements, and they see what they want to implement in their new defense.”
Awuzie, Brown, and Lewis are all talented in their own right and have plenty of motivation this season. The competition at cornerback will definitely be a major topic of discussion once padded practices start this coming week.
