The great start to the season that cornerback Trevon Diggs is having remains the topic of the moment. His six interceptions in five games are generating a lot of comment and comparisons. And the latest one puts Diggs on the same level as a Cowboys legend and the NFL in general. Of course, generating a lot of discussion about it.
On Sunday, former Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman compared Diggs to Deion Sanders, a former Dallas cornerback and winner of two Super Bowls, one with the Cowboy team. Aikman, a current commentator on Fox Sports, made that comparison during the game broadcast between the Cowboys and the Giants. This occurred after Diggs intercepted Mike Glennon and continued his current streak of interceptions.
“This is a lot like Deion Sanders”Aikman said of Diggs during the broadcast. “I saw this many times. He lets the guy go deep, but he’s very confident in his speed and his resilience, that he actually picks up speed. You can see how it is able to bridge the gap. And then he’s like a wide receiver. “.
Trevon Diggs with the closing speed is absolutely special with the ball skills…
Troy Aikman: “It’s very Deion Sanders like…” pic.twitter.com/4HAKVxHdv9
— Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) October 10, 2021
Troy Aikman’s comparison between Diggs and Sanders raised a lot of buzz and discussion on social media. However, the Cowboys legend reaffirmed his opinion in his comments after the game on the Fox broadcast. Of course, highlighting the progress that Diggs has made over last year and making mention of his skills with the ball.
“I made a reference today during the game saying that it reminds me a lot of a guy with whom and against whom I played, which is Deion Sanders”Aikman said after the Dallas-New York meeting. “I don’t want us to get ahead of ourselves, but I see a lot in common. His speed, his ball skills. The way he is able to hit receivers. You can do that in college football, and it rarely translates to the NFL. “
Additionally, Troy Aikman also voiced his views regarding Trevon Diggs’ status as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL today.
“I don’t know if he’s the best right now, but he’s certainly on that path”noted the former quarterback and current Fox Sports commentator. “But if you’re a Cowboys fan, you have to be glad (Diggs) is on your team. Because someone who can cover the way he does, and align himself man to man with the best rival player, allows you to do a lot of things ”.
“Trevon reminds me a lot of a guy I played against and with, and that’s Deion Sanders.”
– @TroyAikman shares his thoughts on the season @dallascowboys CB @TrevonDiggs is having ????
(Sponsored by @Verizon) pic.twitter.com/0TOyuhOPEQ
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 11, 2021
It is worth mentioning that Aikman was not the only one to compare Trevon Diggs with Deion Sanders. Several analysts and reporters have made that comparison in recent days. Even Nick Eatman, a writer for DallasCowboys.com, also compared recent note to both cornerbacks.
“I haven’t seen a Dallas cornerback play this way since Deion Sanders.”Eatman said on the team’s website. “Diggs does more than intercept passes. He is throwing the defense on top because he is capable of correcting any type of flaws there. When was the last time we saw a true playmaker like this? I’d say Deion, even if he wasn’t doing them anymore. Especially because the rivals weren’t throwing the ball at him so much “.
Is Trevon Diggs on a level with Deion Sanders?
Deion Sanders was a very prominent cornerback in the NFL. In his thirteen-year career he played for Atlanta, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington and Baltimore. In fact, he won the Super Bowl in consecutive seasons (1994-1995) with the 49ers and the Cowboys. Besides, he was chosen eight times for the Pro Bowl and six times for the first team All Pro. He was even the Defensive Player of the Year in 1994 with the 49ers. As a bonus, Sanders had four interceptions in his eight Pro Bowl appearances.
“He’s the most exciting player in the game.”
The man, the myth, the legend. @DeionSanders’ FOUR#ProBowl interceptions! (via @nflthrowback) pic.twitter.com/sFS7f01yPg
— NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2020
In his five years in Dallas from 1995 to 1999, Sanders never had a season with more than five interceptions. In fact, that was his best record, occurring in the 1998 season. And this is a figure that Trevon Diggs already surpassed in his second year in the NFL. Even Diggs is on the verge of tying the best career record of Sanders, who had 7 interceptions in 1993 with the Falcons.
However, the same thing that happened to Sanders at the time may happen to Diggs this season. Due to his dangerousness and his skills with the ball, the rivals stopped throwing passes into the area defended by Sanders. And that’s something that can happen to the young Dallas cornerback in upcoming games.
However, this would have implications. For opponents, avoiding Diggs means not throwing the ball to their best receiver. And that can complicate the offensive performance of those who face the Cowboys.
What challenges does Diggs have ahead of him this year?
Although opposing quarterbacks might try to avoid it, the truth is that Trevon Diggs can continue to increase his records this year. Currently, the cornerback leads the NFL in interceptions (6) and passes defended (10). And by keeping up this pace, Diggs may be able to break historical records.
According to some analysts, Diggs would be on track to break Everson Walls’ record as the Cowboys player with the most interceptions in a season (11 in 1981). If it goes further, the NFL record held by Dick “Night Train” Lane, who had 14 interceptions in 1952 with the Rams, would also be in the spotlight.
Wild tackler, best perimeter player in history: 14 interceptions in 12 games Dick “Night Train” Lane pic.twitter.com/TKLWjx1SVS
– Juan Carlos Vázquez (@elnarrador) July 2, 2021
In terms of passes defended, Diggs would also be on track to break the NFL record. That record is held by Darrelle Revis, who had 31 passes defended in 2009 with the Jets.
But that is not all. If his performance remains constant, Trevon Diggs would also be a strong candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year award. He could be the first Dallas player to do this since defensive end Harvey Martin did it in 1977.
In fact, Diggs could also be the fifth cornerback to win such an award in the past 40 years. The others to do so have been Rod Woodson (Steelers, 1993), Deion Sanders (49ers, 1994), Charles Woodson (Packers, 2009) and Stephon Gilmore (Patriots, 2019).
Only 4️⃣ cornerbacks in the last 40 seasons have been named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year:
????Rod Woodson en 1993
EDeion Sanders and 1994
????Charles Woodson in 2009
????Stephon Gilmore en 2019#NFLMX #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/GmBmiYOMVn— NFL México (@nflmx) October 7, 2021
Trevon Diggs’ start into his second year in the NFL is raising a lot of expectations. Right now he is already one of the key pieces of the Dallas defense, which is showing good signs during its rebuilding process. Comparisons will continue to emerge and records will continue to be viewed. But if there’s one thing Diggs has shown so far, it’s that he has the talent to exceed expectations around him.
