Cowboys' Trevon Diggs Says His Goal Is to Have More Than 11 Interceptions This Season

After putting together one of the most prolific seasons ever for an NFL defensive back, Dallas Cowboys star Trevon Diggs still wants more.

Diggs said his goal is to "be higher than last year," per USA Today's Jori Epstein, in reference to his 11 interceptions in 2021.

"Beat my 11 and just keep going and improving," he said.

Diggs was only three interceptions away from matching Dick "Night Train" Lane's single-year record. It looked like the mark might fall when the 23-year-old had seven picks through Dallas' first six games.

Diggs' mindset is understandable, and it's one anybody else in his position would probably share. When you're a top-level athlete, you have keep raising the bar higher and higher regardless of whether your target is achievable.

Some, however, may counter that the 2021 All-Pro shouldn't overlook the value in simply knocking a pass away.

Per Pro Football Focus' Anthony Treash, Diggs allowed more yards in pass coverage (1,068) than any other player. The stat seemed to draw the player's ire:

Still, you don't have to get bogged down in advanced analytics to see Diggs adopts an aggressive approach on the field. That can result in a lot of interceptions and also lead him to get beat on double moves.

Intercepting a lot of passes isn't as valuable if the trade-off is allowing a higher frequency of big plays.

Deion Sanders is one of the greatest cornerbacks in NFL history, and he never had more than seven interceptions in a single season. The same is true for Patrick Peterson, a future Hall of Famer. Richard Sherman (eight in 2012 and 2013) and Darrelle Revis (six in 2009) never hit double digits either at their peak.

The Cowboys' schedule features a number of top pass-catchers right out of the gate.

It should become clear very quickly whether Diggs will make a run at the record book or if he needs to modify his style a bit.