2. Anthony Brown
Byron Jones leaving the Cowboys in the offseason caused a lot of debate in the fan base. Some felt Jones was the glue that kept the defense together while others lamented his lack of turnovers and said that was proof he didn’t deserve the big contract Miami gave him.
No matter where those fans stood on the Byron debate, none seemed to argue that the Cowboys were in bad shape without him. Their secondary had holes even with Jones and losing a Pro Bowl cover guy isn’t usually the best way to patch up such holes.
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Dallas didn’t go crazy in trying to replace Jones either. They signed Maurice Canaday and Daryl Worley, both of which were underrated moves. They also drafted Trevon Diggs, who was a steal at No. 51 overall. There’s also Chidobe Awuzie, a former second-round pick who has become a beacon for criticism.
Of course, every cornerback in Dallas during the Jason Garrett era seemed to be highly criticized, but if we are being honest, this had more to do with trying to force players to fit a scheme rather than using them to their strengths. For example, see Terrance Newman, Brandon Carr, and even Jones at times.
But I digress. This isn’t about that, but instead, it’s about who is being overlooked, and for the Cowboys in 2020, that player is Anthony Brown. A former sixth-round pick in 2016, Brown has been a great find for Dallas and excels as a slot corner. He missed seven games last season and his absence was felt.
In his career, Brown has 172 tackle. four picks and 32 pass defenses. He plays one of the toughest positions in the secondary and does it incredibly well.