In 2016, the Dallas Cowboys defensive secondary was made up of veterans like safety Barry Church and cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne. Last year, those names changed to safety Xavier Woods and cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis. All of whom were rookies as well as vital members of Dallas’ defensive secondary in 2017.
A year removed from that forced youth movement, and this Cowboys defense appears to be on an uptick. Not only did the total defense improve from 14th in 2016 to 8th last season, but now Dallas’ backfield is stocked with brimming young talent.