Cowboys rookie cornerback Eric Scott Jr. reportedly worked with the first team during OTAs

If we walked into a random room of Dallas Cowboys fans and asked everyone to predict which rookie draft pick will turn into a starter, the guesses would all likely be very similar. Odds are obviously high for Mazi Smith and Luke Schoonmaker given that the Cowboys took them with their first and second picks, respectively. Deuce Vaughn is a popular name, and while Tony Pollard is the team’s primary running back, the Deuce hype is pretty high. Maybe you could manage to find someone who believes that Asim Richards has a chance to be the full-time left guard.

You get the picture. Answers would range a bit but for the most part we would get the same three or four to form a pretty strong consensus. As this is the case, there are obviously names that are not mentioned, and one is a player who the team made a trade for to select during the draft.

And he may be the sleeper of the group.

Eric Scott Jr. reportedly got work with the first team during OTAs last week

Of all the picks that the Cowboys made during the 2023 NFL Draft, the one that felt the most surprising was easily cornerback Eric Scott Jr.

A big reason for this wasn’t just that Dallas took Scott in the sixth while many viewed him as someone likely to go undrafted, but that they traded for the right to do so. No two situations are ever identically the same, but in spirit this felt a lot like the Nahshon Wright selection of two years ago, at least in how it caught fans off guard.

But Scott was a visit of the Cowboys leading up to the draft and is clearly someone who they believe in which was proven during last week’s OTAs. There were a lot of storylines that emerged from last week but interestingly the mothership noted that Scott saw work with the first team on defense.

But sure did see sixth-round draft choice Eric Scott Jr., the Southern Mississippi cornerback the Cowboys traded into the sixth round’s first pick, getting some first-team reps at right corner opposite veteran Stephon Gilmore. Telling you, keep an eye on this kid.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, it is very much worth mentioning that Trevon Diggs was not a part of activities (it was reportedly not an issue related to his contract situation) so the door of opportunity was indeed a bit open. It is certainly interesting that Scott saw work on the outside with the ones, isn’t it? That is a big thing to put on the plate of a rookie in their first real action with the entire team, even if it is just OTAs.

To be fair to the overall picture, the Cowboys are clearly looking for someone to impress them as another outside option. They have seemingly chosen to officially explore moving Kelvin Joseph elsewhere, and while DaRon Bland impressed us all as a rookie, it is generally believed that his best work can be done in the slot.

This leaves the Cowboys up a creek of sorts as far as options on the outside and with football being a battle of attrition you have to always have a backup plan. On top of that, while Diggs’ absence was reportedly not related to any sort of contract drama, there is always the risk that something develops along those lines. What if things get tense and Dallas needs a body at training camp or anywhere else?

Eric Scott Jr. may be that player. Who would have thought?