Cornerback Eric Scott Jr. labeled as ‘offseason standout’ for the Cowboys

Eric Scott Jr. must have impressed the right people entering the draft, convincing the Dallas Cowboys to trade a future pick to select him in the sixth round of this year’s draft. Eric Galko, the director of the East-West Shrine Bowl, is one of his biggest supporters and picked Scott to play in the Bowl game. Galko mentioned noticing Scott’s talent and skills from day one and other evaluators missing his potential.

Not the Cowboys. Todd Archer of ESPN says Dan Quinn has become an even bigger supporter, impressed with what he saw from Scott during OTAs and minicamp.

CB Eric Scott Jr.

The rookie sixth-round pick worked some with the first-team defense during the offseason with Trevon Diggs in and out of workouts and Nahshon Wright dealing with a minor knee issue. Scott impressed defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

“When you see a guy wanting the moment to go compete, like, you know, I’m balling my fists up and saying, ‘I ain’t leaving here,’ that’s what I’m looking for specifically for the rookies,” Quinn said. “That kind of mindset and attitude is really what it takes for a young player to assert themselves into these moments because that responsibility is really to say, ‘Hey, man, can we count on you when it’s there?’ Them learning to do that early on, that’s a big deal, knowing that like the amount of work that goes into to say, ‘I’m down for this challenge.’ I’ve seen that from Eric so far.” — Todd Archer

If Nahshon Wright is dealing with a minor injury, that opens the door for more competition behind the starters at the cornerback position. In 2022, Dallas cycled through multiple corners by the end of the season because of injuries to Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis.

No one separated themselves to solidify the spot opposite Trevon Diggs, which prompted the Cowboys to trade for Stephon Gilmore this offseason. Dallas and Quinn should welcome the competition behind those two.

Clearly, the Cowboys defensive coordinator is over the moon with Scott’s work ethic to this point. He showcased his skills during the practices at the Shrine Bowl, going against first-round pick Zay Flowers and giving him a hard time running routes.

Not only does Scott have the press corner tenacity to play the position, but the former Southern Miss standout also has freaky measurables that would appeal to someone like Quinn.

The competition at cornerback is nowhere near over and might only be figured out by the end of training camp. If Scott continues to have the “right mindset and attitude,” that could go a long way in securing himself a spot on the 53-man roster and being active on game day.