The Dallas Cowboys made several moves throughout free agency, and the 2020 NFL Draft bolster their cornerback depth in the wake of Byron Jones’ departure for the Miami Dolphins. In free agency, they added Maurice Canady and re-signed Anthony Brown and C.J. Goodwin. Over the weekend, in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys spend their second-round pick on Alabama Cornerback Trevon Diggs and then spent a fourth-round pick on Tulsa Cornerback Reggie Robinson.
Taking a quick look at the Dallas Cowboys cornerback depth chart, there’s quite a bit of depth.
- Chidobe Awuzie
- Jourdan Lewis
- Anthony Brown
- Maurice Canady
- Trevon Diggs
- Reggie Robinson
- C.J. Goodwin
That’s seven players that could each vie for a roster spot when the Dallas Cowboys head to the regular season. While the Dallas Cowboys have spent resources on acquiring players to play cornerback, they haven’t done the same at safety.
With remarkable depth at the cornerback position and no addition to the safety mix during the draft, Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy offered up an idea that could use some of that cornerback depth to bolster the safety group.
Mike McCarthy just said he thinks the Cowboys have some cornerbacks who can play safety. Take one guess about who that might be. So go ahead and fire up that speculation gravy train.
— David Helman (@davidhelman_) April 26, 2020
For the last several years, as the Dallas Cowboys did very little to address the safety position, it’s been speculated that Chidobe Awuzie could make a move to safety. Though he’s had some struggles at cornerback, his skill set could translate better to playing a free safety position in the NFL.
When Awuzie can play with his eyes on the quarterback and keep the play in front of him, he shows nice instincts to track and make a play on the football. Where he’s struggled is when playing a trail coverage technique that requires him to find the ball with his back to the quarterback. While often in excellent coverage, Awuzie struggled to get his head around to find the football and impact the pass attempt.
Awuzie has the speed and agility that could lend itself to playing two-high or even single-high safety in the NFL if the Dallas Cowboys were to make that transition. His athleticism and tackling would be useful in run support and covering tight ends.
The other player that could potentially make a move to safety is Cornerback Jourdan Lewis. On the surface, his size may scare you away from playing safety. However, he’s pretty much the same size as 2020 second-round pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Antoine Winfield Jr. Winfield may have a bit more weight, but Lewis is a little bit taller.
Jourdan Lewis has the ball skills, aggressiveness, and coverage ability to play safety. He could fill a similar role as Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu. Someone who can play in the box, cover tight ends and wide receivers out of the slot, and play some two-high and single-high safety.
Trevon Diggs projects to be a starting cornerback in the NFL sooner rather than later, and Reggie Robinson could earn himself a role starting as well. With Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, Xavier Woods, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix scheduled to be free agents next offseason, the Cowboys need to see if one of their veteran cornerbacks could find a new home at the safety spot.
Between Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis, the Dallas Cowboys have a couple of players that could make the transition to safety this season. Though it would be unlikely that they would push for a starting role in 2020, they could become a valuable rotational player at the position with sights set on an extension next offseason.
The Dallas Cowboys have some decisions to make at the cornerback position. Moving one of Chidobe Awuzie or Jourdan Lewis to safety could help solve the numbers game they’ll face when they eventually have to reduce their roster. Finding a way to get the best out of either of these players is of the utmost importance heading into the final year of their contracts. If either can make a successful transition to safety, it could help solidify their secondary for 2020 and perhaps beyond.
