The preseason version of a team often bears little resemblance to the one they field during the regular season, but the Dallas Cowboys foreshadowed what their secondary could be during the 2021 Hall of Fame Game. Dallas must replace 900 defensive snaps from last year between the offseason departures of Chidobe Awuzie, Daryl Worley, and Rashard Robinson, and will seemingly attempt to do so with mostly recent draft picks and low-budget veterans. For the first preseason game at least, the strategy looked like it could work.
It obviously wasn’t the sharpest of football being played, but the Cowboys defense still only allowed 18 Pittsburgh completions for 175 passing yards and a single touchdown over the entire game. It was the play of their most recently drafted cornerbacks, Kelvin Joseph and Nahshon Wright, that was most encouraging. The 2021 second and third rounders showed they can hold their own on the outside, spending a good chunk of the game as the Cowboys’ primary corners. There’s still a long way to go between now and the regular season, but the blueprint of what Dallas is attempting to build in their secondary was on full display.
Looking forward to seeing the GamePass angles, because so far it *looks like* there’s been some really nice snaps from Kelvin Joseph vs Pittsburgh’s starting WRs.
— Laurie Horesh (@LaurieHoresh) August 6, 2021
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Joseph seemed to have a smooth, quiet game that matched the recent and quick strides he’s made in training camp. There’s a real chance he pairs with Trevon Diggs sooner rather than later atop the team’s CB depth chart. The rookie gave up just two short receptions of seven and six yards, while immediately bringing down the pass catcher on each.
Wright’s night was more eventful, as he was the more frequently targeted corner by the Steelers passing attack. Wright did allow a 45-yard completion to WR Chase Claypool, but ran well with him down the sideline until a late push off created the separation for Claypool to make the catch.
CHASE CLAYPOOL
ok now take him out the game
pic.twitter.com/qQsboNnmNB— PFF (@PFF) August 6, 2021
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He was again targeted on a deep shot later in the third quarter, but this time Wright forced the incompletion, playing aggressive, sticky coverage. He followed that up with an open-field tackle of WR Ray-Ray McCloud to force Pittsburgh off the field on the next play, capping off an impressive series for the DB in his first professional action.
In fact, Wright had the Cowboys’ defense best tackling grade on the evening for Pro Football Focus, a 79.0.
If Wright can similarly contribute like that at times during the regular season, he’d be a big boost to the Cowboys secondary.
However, Joseph and Wright weren’t the only fresh faces making plays for the new-look Dallas secondary. Also having a solid game was 2020 fourth rounder Reggie Robinson recorded four total tackles and forced a fumble that nearly led to turnover in the third quarter.
Reggie Robinson is outside the roster bubble right now for the Cowboys at cornerback — Maurice Canady’s camp rise an obstacle — but a forced fumble and third-down stop will be well received from staff. The 2020 fourth-round pick just getting going as NFL cornerback.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 6, 2021
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These kinds of plays on the ball have been few and far between for the Cowboys in recent years, yet seemed almost routine in their preseason opener. It’s still way too early to draw any meaningful conclusions about how this defense will fare under Dan Quinn, but it’s at least encouraging sign for so many young players immediately step in and make contributions, even if only against preseason competition.
Given the premium placed on defending the pass, and the atypical approach Dallas has taken toward building their secondary, it’s hard to feel very confident about the Cowboys’ DB group, but it at least seemed like pieces to the puzzle were in place against Pittsburgh. The Cowboys have collected a small stable of young and hungry cornerbacks over the past two seasons, spending five draft picks (three in the Top 100) on the position since 2020.
Sprinkling in those players alongside veterans like Jourdan Lewis, Anthony Brown, Damontae Kazee, as well as FS lotto ticket Malik Hooker, might be enough to help keep the defense afloat this year, while also providing the foundation and valuable experience for the Dallas secondary of the future. The development of players like Joseph, Wright and whoever else emerges over the course of the season is crucial for the Cowboys, who must find answers for a secondary full of question marks. For one night at least, it seemed like everything could come together.
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