Falcons 2020 NFL Draft scouting report: CB Trevon Diggs, Alabama

Kicking off the free agency period with the release of a longtime veteran starter at cornerback was an unexpected move for the Atlanta Falcons, and it was a move that created a bigger issue for Atlanta. At the top of the depth chart currently is second-year corner Kendall Sheffield and third-year man Isaiah Oliver. With plenty of 3 WR sets being ran nowadays by opposing offenses, the Falcons are in need of some more capable reinforcements.

Today, we will dissect a prospect in the upcoming draft that can fit that criteria.

Trevon Diggs Scouting Report

Height: 6’1

Weight: 205 lbs

Career stats: 68 career tackles, four interceptions, eight pass deflections, two fumble recoveries

Games watched: 2018 vs. Ole Miss, 2018 vs. Texas A&M, 2019 vs. LSU, 2019 vs. Mississippi State, 2019 vs. Texas A&M, 2019 vs. Arkansas

Strengths

If the name sounds familiar, that’s because the Alabama product has an older brother that was recently traded to the Buffalo Bills. Diggs himself is also a former wide receiver after playing the position for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide during his freshman season in 2016. Diggs shifted to the corner position in 2017 and has been playing every since.

Initially, you will easily determine that Diggs is a very lengthy defender. His overall combination of height, weight, and length is in a distinct class and allows him to match up against the modern-day big receivers within the NFL. Being that Diggs has plenty of history as a receiver, his instincts on the ball tend to be on display, especially when it comes to identifying the ball in the air and attacking it. Diggs is able to defend the deep routes thanks to his fluidity and excellent change-of-direction ability.

He is able to line up on both sides of the field and the occasional duty in the slot against bigger receivers. With passes thrown underneath his coverage, Diggs is able to read, react, and drive to make the tackle. Unique length in his lower frame shows up in the form of straight-line speed that utilizes long, lengthy strides.

Weaknesses

For a prospect that has only been playing the position for three seasons, Diggs shows the common deficiencies you would expect. Tackling woes rear their ugly heads at times for Diggs and he must become less of a “hold on for dear life”-type tackler.

When tasked to play press coverage, Diggs must be more disciplined with his hand technique. At times, Diggs can also gamble a little bit, looking to make a bigger play instead of the more logical play. It was hard to find a number of positives in his film against LSU this past season. Diggs was fairly targeted and picked on as he covered Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. As a matter of fact, just don’t watch that tape whatsoever if you like Diggs.

Conclusion

This is an ideal draft for the Falcons to need immediate help at the cornerback position. The group itself stands out as one of the top in the entire draft. It is very possible that the Falcons could set their sights on a corner at 16th overall with a couple of prospects (Florida’s CJ Henderson, LSU’s Kristian Fulton) as the likely targets. If the Falcons decide to wait a bit to select a defender, Diggs is a prime candidate.

Diggs’ flaws are correctable. Thanks to having the likes of Joe Whitt Jr. and Raheem Morris on staff, Diggs will have the proper teaching that he needs to correct his worst instincts.

Diggs has the versatility to be a solid fit for the Falcons secondary and has the potential to be a #1 corner over time. Diggs’ draft range is late 1st or early 2nd at the moment and with the NFC South division making gradual improvements, it is imperative that the Falcons add some nice talent to their secondary.