Cowboys draft bust's new home makes 2023 trade look even more disastrous

The annual roster crunch is the worst part of the NFL calendar. Teams are forced to cut players who've done nothing to justify losing their job. Similarly, teams have no choice but to give up on former draft picks who have not caught on. The Dallas Cowboys are no exception.

With Mike Zimmer replacing Dan Quinn as defensive coordinator, the Cowboys were bound to move on from multiple familiar faces.

2021 third-round pick Nahshon Wright was traded after the first week of preseason. Additionally, Damien Wilson, a fourth-round pick by Dallas in 2016, was part of the team's first wave of cuts. As was 2023 sixth-round pick Eric Scott.

It's unclear if the Cowboys wanted Scott back on the practice squad, but they never got that opportunity. Widely predicted to reunite with Quinn on the Commanders after clearing waivers, Scott was surprisingly claimed by the Chiefs on Wednesday. He did not clear waivers.

It's a great landing spot for Scott. For Dallas, though, it serves as a brutal reality check as it was Kansas City's draft pick they acquired in the 2023 draft to move up in the sixth-round to select the Southern Miss product.

Cowboys trading up to draft Eric Scott in 2023 looks even worse after CB was claimed by Chiefs

Of course the Chiefs ended up with Scott anyway. The Cowboys commendably washed their hands of Scott. They admitted it wasn't going to work out. It's a rarity for Dallas, but whiffing in the draft happens to every team. The fact Scott landed in Kansas City just adds insult to injury.

The Cowboys traded a 2024 fifth-round pick to move up and grab Scott. The Chiefs used that pick on Penn State offensive lineman Hunter Nourzad, who made Kansas City's preliminary 53-man roster after a strong preseason.

The versatile Nourzad played both guard positions and center. He allowed only one pressure and not a single sack or quarterback hit while posting a 65.4 pass-blocking grade and a 68.2 run-blocking grade, per PFF.

It is impossible to say what Dallas would have done with that fifth-round pick. They don't necessarily need another backup interior linemen. Asim Richards and T.J. Bass have made big strides heading into year two and Josh Ball was signed to the practice squad. But you can never have too many quality offensive linemen.

Who's to say the Cowboys wouldn't have taken a running back in round five? The RBs that went off the board in the fifth include Notre Dame's Audric Estime, a draft crush for many Dallas fans, Marshall's Rasheen Ali, Purdue's Tyron Tracy Jr., Texas' Keilan Robinson and South Dakota State's Isaiah Davis.

This is all conjecture, but Scott's departure opens the door for it. Many draft experts didn't even have Scott getting drafted. The Cowboys' scouting department typically has an eye for late-round cornerbacks, but their evaluation of the former Golden Eagle was way off.

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