The Cowboys are so enamored with one prospect in particular that they've chosen to give up a pick in 2024 for the right to move up and select him on Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft
FRISCO, Texas — The third day of the 2023 NFL Draft is rolling right along, and swiftly, putting the Dallas Cowboys back on the clock after having given the nod to defensive end Viliami Fehoko with the 129th-overall pick in the fourth round.
Fehoko joins former Michigan defensive superstar Mazi Smith as the newest prospects to join the defensive line this weekend for coordinator Dan Quinn, and head coach Mike McCarthy double-dipped in the Wolverine pool by grabbing tight end Luke Schoonmaker — Texas kid and former Longhorn linebacker DeMarvion Overshown getting the nod in the third round.
What position would they address next though, after going offensive lineman Asim Richards in the fifth, and with what player?
Asked and answered, and the Cowboys traded way up to land him.
Round 6, No. 178: Eric Scott, CB, Southern Miss
Three things to know:
- Official 30 Visit in Dallas
- Two pick-sixes in 2022
- East-West Shrine Game Participant
When you get to the sixth round of an NFL Draft, it often becomes time for teams to start taking risks they wouldn't take at any point previously in the draft — hence late selections on Day 3 being dubbed "flyer picks". Count Scott in as the latest talent who'll enter Dallas with that designation, the Cowboys trading a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Chiefs to move up to the top of the sixth round at 178th-overall.
Not much is known nationally about Scott, but the Cowboys know him well, having not only watched his film and scouted him locally, but also after inviting him as one of their coveted Official 30 visits in April.
Scott, standing at 6-foot-1 and weighing in at 204 pounds, isn't a speedy cornerback but rather a lengthy, rangy talent that fits the prototype of what Dan Quinn loves at the position (as far as boundary defenders go). What he gives up in speed, he delivers in overall athletic ability and his near 40" vertical jump attests to that fact.
Combine that with a wingspan of 80 ⅛" and what you have is a challenging window for quarterbacks to try and force the ball into, with a vertical that makes it difficult for big wideouts to defeat him at the high point.
It also bears mentioning he suffered a tweaked quad while running his 40-yard dash, so don't criminalize his 4.71 second finish. Scott says his quad is now "110%" and he was clocked at 4.42 seconds recently — likely proving this to the Cowboys in the pre-draft process.
That proof might've been part of a recorded workout session, separate from his Official 30 visit, that was requested by Dallas and delivered by Scott.
His journey to Dallas includes having transferred to Southern Miss as a three-star recruit after a stint in JUCO, and will require some added polish to make the jump to being an impact player at the NFL level. Make no mistake about it, this is an "upside" pick for the Cowboys, and should not be expected to step in and compete for a role atop a CB depth chart that features Trevon Diggs, Stephon Gilmore, DaRon Bland and Jourdan Lewis.
He's a late-bloomer and still raw, but Quinn is banking on him developing into something meaningful, and the Cowboys history of sixth-round picks does work in his favor.
