Coming into the off-season, the biggest needs for the Cowboys were safety and defensive line.

Fast forward to where we are now, they have addressed those two needs with Gerald McCoy, Dontari Poe, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. However, they took a major blow in the secondary losing Byron Jones to the Dolphins through free agency. This has caused the cornerback position to emerge as the likely choice for them to go after with the 17th overall pick.

If that is indeed the direction that they are going, who is the best player to target?

Obviously Ohio State’s Jeffrey Okudah, who is the consensus number one CB in this year’s draft, is off the table for them as he is a likely top ten pick. The top names after him that are actually in reach for the Cowboys include C.J. Henderson, Kristian Fulton, and Trevon Diggs.

Florida’s C.J. Henderson tallied 93 total tackles, six interceptions, and 20 deflections during his time with the Gators. Even with an injury early in 2019, he still earned a first-team All-SEC selection with 33 total tackles and a career-high 11 deflections.

He has been criticized for his tackling, or lack thereof, and maybe somewhat of a liability in run defense but can make up for it with great speed as well as coverage and ball skills.

Nice hustle for someone who doesn’t want to tackle 🤷🏾‍♂️ CJ Henderson #CB1 and yes he chased down Deebo pic.twitter.com/ejiR87Crvm

— CROCK-MAN⚡️ (@eric_crocker) March 27, 2020

LSU’s Kristian Fulton finished his college career with 56 total tackles, two interceptions, and 20 pass deflections. 2019 was his first full season, as he was previously suspended for 19 months for using someone else’s drug test instead of his own. He came back in a big way as he finished 2019 with 38 total tackles, one interception, and 14 deflections which ultimately led to his team winning the National Championship.

It remains to be seen whether teams, especially the Cowboys, will be hesitant on taking him based off of his suspension and questionable ball skills. However, his breakout final season showed great potential and talent that can be made even better with the right coaching.

Goodness gracious.
Kristian Fulton pulled off something special on this @LSUFootball interception. pic.twitter.com/grAk3RKn8e

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) October 13, 2018

Alabama’s Trevon Diggs ended with 68 total tackles, four interceptions, and 17 deflections in his college career. He started off his career as a WR before transitioning to a full-time CB in his sophomore year. He easily had a career year in 2019 as he tallied 37 total tackles, three interceptions, and eight deflections as well as a touchdown.

Like C.J. Henderson, Diggs is not a great tackler but has very good zone coverage ability and was able to play many different coverages in Alabama’s system. This combined with his size and natural ability to find and attack the ball may be very appetizing for a Cowboys team that could really use a play-maker in the secondary.

Trevon Diggs: Highest-graded CB vs power five offenses in 2019.pic.twitter.com/txDSWrkAff

— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) March 10, 2020

In terms of which player would be the better pick for the Cowboys, they would be wise to select the best corner available to them in C.J. Henderson.

The speed and play-making ability he brings is just what Dallas needs to not only fill the void left by Byron Jones but to help create more takeaways from this defense that is desperately needed

Of course, there are many teams who will have their eye on Henderson as well who pick before the Cowboys such as the 49ers or the Falcons. Should he be taken off the board before their pick, Trevon Diggs is the right second choice for them as he and Henderson are similar in size, coverage, and play-making ability. Although Diggs maybe just a little better at playing the ball.