The Dallas Cowboys secondary has been an area that’s needed improvement for quite some time. Yes, they had former All-Pro Cornerback Byron Jones for five seasons and Xavier Woods has held down the free safety role since 2017, but there hasn’t been the consistent production you’d want to see from this group. The Cowboys addressed the cornerback position twice in the draft by selecting Trevon Diggs and Reggie Robinson. That takes care of the outside, however, the slot or nickel corner spot is still looking for a permanent resident.
That’s where Jourdan Lewis comes into play. Once one of the more sought after corners coming out of college, Lewis has shown flashes of how big-time he can be. Unfortunately the previous regime, in particular former Defensive Backs Coach Kris Richard, didn’t allow him to maximize abilities because he liked tall and lengthy corners, and 5’10 Lewis got lost in the shuffle. That was of course until he caught a break last November.
Anthony Brown, the team’s other nickel corner, suffered a torn triceps that ended his 2019 campaign, and Lewis took full advantage. He registered 30 of his 51 tackles and three of his four sacks after Brown went down. These stats are reminiscent of what Lewis did in 2017 as a rookie when he had 54 tackles and 10 pass breakups.
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1191572956918370304?s=19
It's almost as if Jourdan Lewis should be used a lot on defense.
(via @dallascowboys) pic.twitter.com/gz4KGQM6AQ
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) October 21, 2019
That’s always been the main thing with Lewis. It’s never been about a lack of talent simply a lack of opportunities under the old coaching staff.
Now, after clearly showing his size doesn’t change his talent level, Lewis will be in an interesting battle with Brown for nickel corner supremacy. The Cowboys signed Brown to a three-year, 15.5 million dollar extension with eight million in guarantees back in March, so the organization obviously values having him on the roster. This makes it even more important for Lewis to beat out Brown as he tries to earn his first big payday.
Lewis is a naturally more gifted player, although Brown is no slouch himself. Now, it’ll be interesting to see how he plays knowing he not only can lockdown his roster spot but secure the bag as well.
