Trevon Diggs
The Silver and Black look like they struck gold with 2019 second-round pick, Trayvon Mullen. As impressive as the young defender is, the team could still use another cornerback on the other side of him. At this point, Daryl Worley‘s future with the organization is up in the air and even if he does return, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther used him as a “hybrid” player down the stretch. Adding another corner will allow the team to continue to exploit Worley’s versatility.
Given the need, Alabama’s Trevon Diggs could certainly be in the mix.
This past season was extremely impressive for the defensive back as he hauled in three interceptions to go along with eight passes defended. Factoring out the LSU game, which was abnormally bad for him, he allowed 13 catches for 176 yards on the season. Of course, he’ll have to answer questions about why performed poorly in the biggest and most important game of the year, but Diggs has plenty of qualities that will translate well to the next level.
All of the best zone corners in the NFL have one trait in common, the ability to read the quarterback’s eyes. The Alabama product showed this ability frequently in college and is fast enough to be able to entice a throw and make a play on the ball. Towards the end of games, teams would just stop throwing his way.
Diggs also has great footwork that allows him to stay in front of wide receivers and match their routes. In press coverage, his feet and speed allow him to stay in front of receivers and force them to the sideline which reduces the catching area. Combining these traits are what make him a great fit in Guenther’s defense.
Las Vegas likes to run zone coverage and specifically, the team uses a lot of pattern match cover four. Diggs’ ability to read quarterbacks’ eyes and mimic wide receivers’ routes will translate well in the Silver State and he may end up being the perfect number two corner alongside Mullen.
The draft prospect could be an option for either of the Raiders’ first-round picks. Pro Football Focus has him going to the Silver and Black at number 12 in the site’s latest mock draft, while he’s 21st on The Draft Network’s big board and ranked 18th on Sports Illustrated’s. In other words, it looks like he’ll be an option for the organization and maybe even twice.
While there will be plenty of options for Las Vegas in late April and of course, they don’t have to go with the same school model, but these two will definitely be on the organization’s radar. Also, I’m sure Josh Jacobs wouldn’t mind seeing some familiar faces in the building, especially since he’s outnumbered by the Clemson Tigers.