Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs lands top honor

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs has been named the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Month for September. Diggs stepped up his play to kickoff this year’s NFL season. And his hard work has been capped off with player of the month honors.

Diggs in the early season

Diggs has started the season at a ridiculous pace. He has an interception in all three games. He picked off Tom Brady in Week 1 on a short pass to running back Leonard Fournette, doubling as the team’s first interception on the season. In Week 2, he snatched a pass by Justin Herbert on the Chargers’ first drive of the game. And finally, in Week 3, he had a pick-six on Jalen Hurts to start the second half of Monday night’s game with the Eagles.

With that interception, Diggs became the first Cowboys player with an interception in three-straight games since Terence Newman in Weeks 11-13, 2007, according to NFL.com. He is also the first Cowboy since Lee Roy Jordan to have two interceptions in the first two games of the season.

Trevon Diggs has been named NFC Defensive Player of the Month. He has 3 interceptions in 3 games, 6 passes defended and opposing QBs have a passer rating of 40.8 when targeting him.

(Video: @NFL) pic.twitter.com/kiXxFnpzFr

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 30, 2021

The pick-six had another interesting twist to it. The pass was thrown by a former Alabama quarterback in Hurts, to former Crimson Tide wideout DeVonta Smith, and was intercepted by Digg who also played at the school.

Praise, praise and more praise

The praise for the Cowboys corner has been coming from everywhere. Two of his biggest competitors in offseason training camp receivers Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb both complimented him on this play to start the season. And even owner Jerry Jones also praised Diggs in a very unique way.

“A receiver faking it as a D-back,” Jones said via the Dallas Morning News. “He plays that ball and makes those special plays. And obviously, he’s not only got talent, but by the way, he’s worked to get in position to make those plays. He’s a difference-maker.”

But it’s not just him picking off opposing quarterbacks, Diggs is locking down the receivers he covers as well. Against Tampa Bay, Diggs covered one of the Bucs top receivers, Mike Evans on 83% of his routes. During that time he allowed only one catch for 10 yards on three targets, according to Next Gen Stats.

If Diggs can keep up this pace, he will finish the season with 17 interceptions. That would break a record held by Rams Hall of Fame DB Night Train Lane. A record that he’s owned since his rookie season from back in 1952. That alone would make Diggs a Pro Bowler and have him planted into the conversation of best current NFL corners.