In almost a decade with the Dallas Cowboys, there wasn’t a moment nickelback Jourdan Lewis didn’t cherish, which was why his eventual exit probably hurt the way it did.
“I loved every second of being a Cowboy, the good and the bad,” Lewis said during an appearance on the Just Earn It podcast. “That’s something that I thrived in …. I knew the type of people that I had around me and the type of teammates that I had around me, and I loved them.”
Lewis played 8 seasons for the Cowboys from 2017 to 2024 before leaving for a 3-year, $30 million free agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars in March 2025.
In those 8 seasons, the former Michigan star and 2017 3rd round pick (No. 92 overall) played in 115 games with 64 starts, 10 interceptions, 44 pass deflections, 9 fumble recoveries, 19 TFL, and 9.5 sacks.
“After a while, things get missed in translation and (the Cowboys) feel like your value isn’t that much, you’re getting older, and we can supplement that with different players, … and they felt it was time for me to move in that shuffle,” Lewis said. “Jacksonville saw the value in a veteran who could go in and work and fight through adversity … and that’s what I feel Jacksonville saw in me.”
Jaguars Thrived in 1st Season With Jourdan Lewis
In his 1st season with the Jaguars, Lewis was an instant impact player who helped lift the franchise to a 13-4 record and AFC South Division title in 2025 after a 4-13 record in 2024.
“Jerry Jones has since changed his tune about not only the evaluation of Lewis at that time but the importance of the slot corner position — which led to Caleb Downs,” Blogging the Boys’ Brandon Loree wrote on his official X account on Tuesday. “Ripple Effect.”
Just 1 season removed from having a reliable nickelback/slot cornerback in Lewis and struggling with the NFL’s worst secondary in 2025, the Cowboys used the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft on Ohio State superstar Caleb Downs, who played safety in college but projects as a plug-and-play nickelback in the NFL.
Caleb Downs Could Be NFL’s Elite Slot CB
According to Pro Football Focus NFL reporter Bradley Locker, Downs could step in right away and become the “NFL’s next elite slot defender as a rookie,” after signing a 4-year, $29.1 million contract.
That’s a spot currently occupied by an NFC East Division rival in NFL All-Pro and Pro Bowler Cooper DeJean.
In an interesting twist, 34-year-old former Eagles cornerbacks coach Christian Parker is now the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator.
“Parker sought a legitimate game-changer with one of the Cowboys’ top two picks,” Locker wrote. “He got just that in Downs, who has a chance to revolutionize the unit from the get-go as the team’s primary nickel/slot defender.”
The last 2 Super Bowl champions have come with elite rookie slot cornerbacks — DeJean in 2024 and Seattle Seahawks star Nick Emmanwori in 2025.
Parker also has a history of turning players into elite slot cornerbacks, doing so with DeJean in Philadelphia and Ja’Quan McMillian with the Denver Broncos.
Downs seems like the next man up in Dallas.
Former Cowboys Starter Calls Exit ‘Missed in Translation’ Moment