The Dallas Cowboys struck gold in the 2020 NFL Draft, landing cornerback Trevon Diggs with the 51st overall pick. As Diggs enters the final year of his rookie contract, the Cowboys will need to prepare to make him one of the highest-paid NFL cornerbacks.
Diggs, age 24, has easily outplayed his first NFL contract. The 6-foot-1 cornerback earned two Pro Bowl selections in his first three seasons and led the NFL in interceptions in 2021. Now serving as one of the integral pieces of a Super Bowl-caliber defense, Diggs is headed for a payday.
- Trevon Diggs contract: $4.304 million salary (2023), 2024 NFL free agent
The Cowboys have plenty of incentive to extend Diggs as soon as possible. NFL teams are projecting the salary cap to climb by nearly $20 million every year. With it comes inflated player salaries and in a pass-heavy league, that means even more money spent on top cornerbacks.
While there are no signs that a contract extension for Diggs is imminent, it has already been a topic of conversation during the Cowboys’ offseason. When asked about it by reporters, the former Alabama Crimson Tide standout made it clear he wants to remain in Dallas.
“Hopefully something gets figured out. I love Dallas. I love being here. We’ll see.
Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs on the likelihood of a contract extension
Based on Diggs’ production and abilities, let’s take a look at what a contract extension may cost Dallas if it pursues a long-term deal this summer.
Trevon Diggs contract projection
Diggs will naturally want to be one of the highest-paid players in the NFL at his position. He is a crucial key to Dan Quinn’s defense and the Cowboys’ pass rush would be less effective without a top cornerback. However, Diggs’ coverage ability is quite volatile at a position where there is a lot of fluctuation on a year-to-year basis.
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In just his second season as a pro, Diggs led the NFL with 11 interceptions in 16 games. It was one of the best seasons ever by a cornerback, with Diggs tying Sammy Baugh and Mel Blount for 14th place in the single-season interception leaderboard.
- Trevon Diggs stats (career): 17 interceptions, 49 pass deflections
NFL quarterbacks didn’t exactly shy away from Diggs after that season. According to Pro Football Focus, receivers drew 96 targets against Diggs in 2021 and 82 in 2022.
| Trevon Diggs stats | PFF grade | QB Rating Allowed | Yards per Catch | Yards Allowed |
| 2021 | 59.6 | 71.7 | 18.5 | 1,016 |
| 2022 | 66.9 | 99.4 | 14.4 | 650 |
Diggs ranked 50th in PFF’s coverage grade this past season, ranking 20th in first downs allowed (11) with the 10th-most touchdowns allowed (five) by a starting cornerback. While he played like an All-Pro defensive back at times, Diggs also allowed 50-plus receiving yards six times.
That’s precisely why negotiations with Diggs become more complicated for Dallas. Based on his interception total and reputation, he could try and become just the sixth cornerback in the NFL to sign a deal worth more than $19 million per season.
While the Cowboys have made some mistakes with contract extensions, they’ve proven to be a fairly smart organization when it comes to football decisions. Diggs is extremely valuable to their defense, but there’s also a limit to his worth.
The smartest path for the Cowboys might be to place the franchise tag on Diggs next season and evaluate these next two years of film and analytics to judge his performance. If Dallas decides to move forward with a contract extension, a four-year deal with an $18.5 million AAV and $40 million fully guaranteed could interest both sides.
