After selecting Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb in the first round, the Dallas Cowboys followed that up by choosing Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs with the 51st overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

There was speculation the Cowboys would consider drafting Diggs in the first round, so they have to be ecstatic to get him in the second.

Listed at 6-1, 205 pounds with 32 3/4-inch arms, Diggs is an ascending prospect with elite size and length for the position. A converted receiver, Diggs doesn’t have a ton of experience playing corner, having made the transition in 2017.

He displayed steady improvement each season, showing more and more comfort playing on the defensive side of the ball which culminated in an outstanding junior season. In 2019, Diggs allowed just 22 receptions on 52 targets (42.3% completion rate) for 309 yards and a touchdown while totaling 11 pass breakups (21.1% forced incompletion rate) and three interceptions, per Pro Football Focus.

As one might expect from a former receiver, Diggs is not a good tackler. This was extremely evident against LSU, when he repeatedly missed tackles and sacrificed dirty yards because of a lack of physicality in the tackling department.

Luckily, Diggs’ lack of physicality as a tackler doesn’t carry over to coverage, an area in which he is actually quite physical. His prototypical size, length and bully mindset at the line of scrimmage enable him to be quite effective in press.

Diggs uses his length to disrupt a receiver’s release at the line of scrimmage and the timing of their routes. He’s comfortable using two- and off-hand jams, which gives him the ability to change up his approach and keep receivers guessing at the line of scrimmage.

Despite his lack of deep speed, Diggs’ size, length and physicality make him incredibly difficult to beat on a vertical plane. On passes 20-plus yards downfield, Diggs allowed just four catches on 18 targets for a touchdown and a 37.5 passer rating, per PFF. When Diggs can control opposing receivers and force them to play to his speed, he’s consistently effective and can shut them down.

Moreover, Diggs excels in zone coverage, which is surprising given his lack of experience. Alabama employs one of the most complicated defensive schemes in all of football, yet he displayed a masterful understanding of coverage concepts.

Diggs’ zone spacing and awareness are fantastic. He can match vertical routes well from bail coverage and relates well to multiple receivers entering his zone. Diggs doesn’t get fooled by route combinations and shows awesome anticipation when the quarterback is in his line of sight.

It's a shame that this play was invalidated because of an illegal substitution. Alabama CB Trevon Diggs does a great job sinking to defend the corner route. Doesn't get too hung on the underneath stuff. Very nice. pic.twitter.com/xAxbo0u6N3 — John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 1, 2020

His interception above, invalidated by an illegal substitution penalty, was outstanding and a great example of Diggs’ intelligence and play-making ability in zone coverage. Diggs’ size, length and anticipation enable him to squeeze soft spots between zones and make plays outside of his initial coverage responsibility.

While there are questions as to how his man coverage will translate to the NFL initially (more on that later), Diggs’ zone coverage ability is tailor-made for the league.

Love how Diggs attacks this ball to secure the INT at the catch point. Diggs shows impressive ball skills when he can turn his head and vision the ball to the catch point. pic.twitter.com/vAqcbA6rKJ — John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 25, 2020

When he’s able to turn his head and locate the football, Diggs displays outstanding ball skills, showing the ability to attack and secure the ball at his highest point. Diggs’ experience at wide receiver certainly helps him here.

Diggs is the type of cornerback who isn’t satisfied with pass breakups, as he routinely attacks the catch point with an interception on his mind. Diggs’ ability to turn potential pass breakups into interceptions is likely a big reason why the Cowboys valued him so highly in the draft, as the team has repeatedly stated that it is looking for defensive backs who can force turnovers.

Diggs also brings some value as a return man on special teams, as he averaged more than 9 yards per punt and 23 yards per kick return at Alabama.

Unfortunately, Diggs’ play isn’t all sunshine and daisies -- there are some very real negatives that become apparent when scouting him.

First off, he isn’t a great athlete, lacking the deep speed to recover if initially beaten at the line of scrimmage. Faster receivers can separate from Diggs when he can’t disrupt the route at the line of scrimmage. This is likely a big reason why coach Nick Saban, who typically favors single-high safety coverages, played a higher frequency of two-high coverages, as he appeared fearful of getting beat deep on vertical routes outside the numbers.

Diggs also tends to get into trouble in man coverage, where he’s forced to turn his back to the quarterback. This is where Diggs’ inexperience comes to play, as he often looks uncomfortable playing the ball with his back turned to the passer.

Diggs also appears to have some stiffness in his hips, which is illustrated when he’s forced to throw on the brakes to cover a curl/comeback from a vertical stem.

Diggs’ transitional footwork can be taken advantage of by the more resourceful route runners. Diggs will often step outside of his frame, which inhibits his balance and can make him slow to react to a receiver’s movement.

Diggs also tends to get really handsy in coverage, which could lead to a lot of defensive pass interference and holding penalties early on in his career. Diggs will need to learn to be savvier with his physicality in coverage, which should come with more experience at the position.

Luckily for the Cowboys, most of Diggs’ issues are technical issues likely caused by his relative inexperience at the position. The hope is that as Diggs continues to gain more experience at cornerback, he will be able to clean up some of his technical inefficiencies.

Still, the Cowboys aren’t drafting Diggs for what he is now -- they’re drafting him because of what they think he can become down the road. Corners with that kind of size and processing ability don’t grow on trees, as the 22-year-old’s profile is dripping with upside.

There’s certainly a risk, but Diggs’ skills in coverage despite his lack of experience makes the potential reward worth it. If Diggs can clean up his transitional footwork while becoming more comfortable in man coverage, he will prove to be a steal for the Cowboys in the second round.

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