Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs won't repeat as the league interception leader, but that shouldn't overshadow his growth.
Last season, Diggs posted a 59.6 Pro Football Focus grade — low for a player with 11 interceptions.
TREVON DIGGS' ELEVENTH INTERCEPTION. #DallasCowboys
— NFL (@NFL) December 27, 2021
: #WASvsDAL on NBC
: https://t.co/RVn6kdfzlm pic.twitter.com/apArPdSN5T
"Turnovers skew perception," writes PFF's Sam Monson. "He gives up a lot of yardage between interceptions."
Diggs' exploits gained attention, but the highlights distracted from holes in the Cowboys passing defense. It allowed 4,049 passing yards and ranked 20th in the league.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn told Diggs to reconsider his game and polish his weaknesses. Quinn believes he took the lesson to heart and revamped his game.
"It's cool to see a player grow and say I'm not going to be known for this one thing," Quinn told the 33rd Team. "He's a better player at this stage this year than he was last year at this stage."
Despite recording three picks in 11 games, Diggs has 13 pass deflections, second in the league, and the Cowboys pass defense is No.1 in yards allowed.
Impressive, considering they've faced top-tier receivers like Justin Jefferson, who had 33 receiving yards against Dallas in Week 11 — his second-lowest total of the season.
Trevon Diggs vs Justin Jefferson in Week 11:
— PFF (@PFF) November 21, 2022
2 catches allowed
19 yards allowed
1 forced incompletion pic.twitter.com/fPJ7VPkfDu
As a result, Diggs' 2022 PFF grade improved to 70.8 and is the site's fifth-best cornerback.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!