34. Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama
Height: 6’1″ Weight: 205
40-Yard Dash: N/A
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: The younger brother of former Vikings and current Bills receiver Stefon Diggs, Trevon Diggs logged time as a receiver, defensive back, and returner in high school. After he chose the Crimson Tide, Diggs caught 11 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown in his freshman year of 2016 before committing fully to cornerback. Diggs was scheduled to become a full-time starter in 2018, and did start six games before a foot injury shut him down. Diggs came back well in 2019 with 37 tackles, three interceptions, and 11 passes defensed.
“He’s like my dad, honestly,” Diggs said of his brother, when asked at the combine what he’s learned from him. “He was there for me when my father passed, so he has always taken care of me. I always ask him everything, no matter what. Two o’clock in the morning, I’m asking him questions. I called him last night, every day, about this process and how he managed it.”
The elder Diggs also told his brother to focus on the bad plays, so they don’t happen again.
“He always critiques me. We don’t always talk about the good things. We talk about the bad things, the things we can do to get better. He always gives me tips and little cues to work on my game. I’m blessed to have that. I don’t have someone patting me on the back all the time and telling me I’m doing good. I’ve got someone who’s telling me, ‘Let’s get to work.’”
Stat to Know: Diggs’ man coverage rate dropped from 80% in 2018 to 47% in 2019. His opponent passer rating allowed also dropped — from 85.8 to 44.5.
Strengths: Big, long-legged cornerback with a massive wingspan. Aggressive press defender who forces receivers to redirect. Can run upfield in bail coverage, and can trail receivers with inside release up the boundary. Stays in his receiver’s hip pocket for the most part with good straight-line speed and hand-checking. Switched from a zone-heavy diet to more of a balanced system (including match coverage) in 2019 with good results. Boxes out the receiver and has the ball skills to make quarterbacks pay. Smart enough to wait in the weeds and bait quarterbacks. Receiver background shows up in his route awareness. Though press is his primary coverage, he’s quick and adept enough to maintain contact through the route in off coverage.
Weaknesses: Movement skills are average, as one might expect from a bigger cornerback. Vulnerable to quick angles in the short and intermediate game. Needs to maintain lockdown mentality through the entire route — can be suckered throughout by double moves and late movement and leverage. Could struggle in the NFL against receivers who know how to exploit his rudimentary ability to flip his hips. More a runner than a transition player.
This adjustment to Ja’Marr Chase in the 2019 Alabama-LSU game was not ideal. This is the kind of stuff Diggs needs to watch out for. Chase makes huckleberries out of most of the cornerbacks he faces, but Diggs will see more of this at the NFL level.
Conclusion: Last season, per Sports Info Solutions, Diggs allowed just 15 catches on 50 targets for 266 yards, one touchdown, three interceptions and an opponent passer rating of just 16.3. That means opposing quarterbacks would have been twice as efficient throwing the ball into the stands on every snap. No matter which statistical service you subscribe to, Diggs sets himself up as a great eraser cornerback in any system in which his aggressiveness and route awareness are featured.
NFL Comparison: Richard Sherman. When Sherman came into the NFL as a fifth-round pick of the Seahawks in 2011, he had a few rough moments early on. But over time, Sherman used his insane competitive demeanor, on-field intelligence, and physical attributes to become a true old-school lockdown cornerback. Diggs absolutely has all the tools to become that type of player. Whether you see Sherman, or Aqib Talib, or Jalen Ramsey when you watch Diggs, that’s pretty much the prototype.