NFL: Each Team’s Biggest 2015 X-Factor

Jun 16, 2015; Irving, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback Tyler Patmon (26) during minicamp at Dallas Cowboys Headquarters. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Cowboys CB Tyler Patmon

The injury to Dallas Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick made national waves went it happened and for good reason. Scandrick is one of the Cowboys most important players, and he had a breakout season in 2014, providing the ‘Boys with standout coverage in the slot and on the outside.

The Cowboys don’t have a single player on the roster who can fully replace Scandrick’s versatility, but they do have a physical, 24-year-old Oklahoma State product in Tyler Patmon who has the tools to be an adequate slot corner for this team. Weaknesses in the defensive backfield can be partially overcome by the Cowboys scary defensive line of Demarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford, Greg Hardy, Randy Gregory, and Jeremy Mincey, but it’s a lot harder to cover up a gaping hole in the slot.

If Patmon can play as well as the Cowboys hope he can, then that will go a long way to aiding a questionable secondary.

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