It's easy to view George Pickens' absence from Dallas Cowboys OTAs through a positive lens.
For starters, it opens the door for Ryan Flournoy to soak up valuable reps as the No. 2 receiver. Poised for a larger role after an impressive Year 2, Flournoy stands to benefit as much as anyone from extra work.
The 26-year-old hauled in a touchdown from Dak Prescott during red-zone drills Thursday, but that's hardly surprising. What's more noteworthy is that another wideout appears to be making an early push up the depth chart during the first week of OTAs.
None other than Marquez Valdes-Scantling is standing out and not just because he's wearing Micah Parsons' former No. 11 jersey.
A late arrival who signed with Dallas right after the NFL Draft in late April, Valdes-Scantling got a lot of burn with the first-team offense and saw plenty of targets from Prescott. He and CeeDee Lamb operated as the two boundary WRs, with Flournoy working a lot in the slot.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling running with the Dallas Cowboys' first-team offense at OTAs
How's that for an early surprise?
Valdes-Scantling's experience showed up when he batted down an errant throw from Prescott that safety P.J. Locke was in prime position to intercept, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Look, obviously Valdes-Scantling wouldn't be "starting" if Pickens was practicing. Maybe the Cowboys just wanted a veteran presence out there to help keep the offense operating smoothly during team drills.
Regardless, it speaks volumes that Valdes-Scantling was the one getting those opportunities. It does not bode well for Jonathan Mingo, who worked off to the side with the rehab team on Thursday.
That notwithstanding, MVS still got the nod over KaVontae Turpin. The Cowboys easily could have kicked Flournoy outside and played Turpin in the slot. Turpin isn't a natural receiver, but he still ran 240 routes last season.
It stands to reason that multiple WRs rotated with the first team, but Valdes-Scantling seemingly got the bulk of the opportunities. Yes, it's only OTAs, but the 31-year-old jumped the line rather quickly, especially since Traeshon Holden has a year of experience in the offense.
Not to mention, the Cowboys are bullish on seventh-round pick Anthony Smith and undrafted signee Jordan Hudson. Granted, they may not be ready to run with the 1s, but again, Valdes-Scantling was merely expected to be a camp body.
Stepping right into the first-team offense suggests he has a better chance of making the 53-man roster than initially believed. Whatever happens, he'll have three more OTA practices to leave an impression before Pickens (hopefully) reenters the fold in minicamp.
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