(Editor's Note: In the upcoming weeks before the start of training camp, the staff of DallasCowboys.com is looking to answer the 20 biggest questions facing the team heading into the 2024 season. Today, the staff writers continue the series by discussing the status of the always-changing cornerback position.)
12) Have they gotten better or worse at CB?
Nick Harris: Is it possible to say the Cowboys are "about the same" at cornerback? When you look at the majority of how last season played out, Dallas will basically replace Stephon Gilmore with a healthy Trevon Diggs while returning a first-team All-Pro member in DaRon Bland. At the nickel spot, Jourdan Lewis is back for another go-around to man down the slot. If Diggs can return to full form in 2024, I would say this group definitely has the opportunity to be better than last year's group. With two ball-hawks like Bland and Diggs locking down the corners, it could be turnover city for Mike Zimmer's defense. Additionally, I like the depth of this year's group just a smidge more with the addition of Caelen Carson.
Kyle Youmans It's hard to get better at a position group after losing a former defensive player of the year and savvy veteran. However, from the end of last season to the beginning of this one, Dallas is more equipped at the position. Stephon Gilmore did some great things last season, and the 2023 Cowboys would not have had the same success throughout the year without him in the fold. But regaining a healthy Trevon Diggs and pairing him with a much more confident DaRon Bland on the boundary could be one of the best duos in football. Something that wouldn't be possible without Bland's growth last season, where he performed much better in a new role outside the slot. With Diggs and Bland controlling the outside, it allows full confidence and snaps for Jourdan Lewis in the nickel, which has been his recipe for success in the past.
Patrik Walker: I love this question because it's one oozing in the finesse of two items. On one hand, deciding to not (yet?) re-sign Stephon Gilmore weakens the position group, considering he was the stabilizing force outside of DaRon Bland when Trevon Diggs was lost to a torn ACL in mid-September. But the thing is Diggs is returning, a massive variable in this discussion that seemingly washes the loss of Gilmore when combined with the fact this isn't the same Bland as it was one year ago. He's gone from being a breakout rookie nickel corner to a historic boundary corner who will now play opposite Diggs going forward — a tidbit that combines with the re-signing of Jourdan Lewis to explain why Gilmore isn't in Dallas right now. The Big 3 at CB is nasty work right now, and that means the only question now is the same as last year: who will step up behind them as rotational pieces/injury insurance? That means, for me, it's not worse, but it's instead arguably better, all things considered (p.s. I'd still re-sign Gilmore, though).
Kurt Daniels: Is Trevon Diggs back to full strength? If he is, then you can make a case that the group of Diggs, DaRon Bland and Jourdan Lewis is among the best in the NFL. But that's assuming a lot. Given what we've seen with previous ACL injuries and the recovery time needed for players like Michael Gallup and Terence Steele, I just think it's unrealistic to think Diggs will be his Pro Bowl self anytime soon. Also, is Lewis going to lose a step in his age 29 season? Can Bland repeat the record-setting success he enjoyed in 2023? And just what kind of cornerback depth do they have? In all, the position has the potential to be better, but I fear it has gotten worse.
