Photo Courtesy: Dallas Cowboys
FRISCO, Texas — Over the last three weeks of organized team activities and mandatory minicamp, rookie cornerback Nahshon Wright has continued to impress with instinctual plays on the ball. Training camp in pads will obviously be the true test but so far, his playmaking ability has emerged on the practice field at the Star.
He possesses the length (6’4) that Dan Quinn covets in the secondary. His frame and ex-receiver traits add to his leverage in one-on-one matchups and head coach Mike McCarthy has taken notice.
“He [Nahshon Wright] is very bright. Picks it up quickly. He’s made some plays. There are some technique things, which we are all going through right now at pretty much every position. But yeah, I really like the way that he’s jumped in here. He’s been aggressive, competitive. Definitely what you are looking for in your young guys.”
He has made a smooth transition and is picking up the defensive playbook at a nice pace. His ease may come as shock to the outside world but not to Dan Quinn. The new defensive coordinator attended Wright’s pro day workout at Oregon State and saw him as a scheme match. Many experts and analysts predicted Wright to be a Day 3 selection but as any football fan knows and can attest, the draft is unpredictable. The Cowboys selected Wright as their last of three third-round picks in April.
Dallas had Wright as a high third-round grade on their draft board and the fact that Quinn traveled to Corvallis to work him out is telling. Call him a Quinn “pet project” if you will but so far, Wright has put his best foot forward and is already proving doubters wrong. He came to camp ready to go and work. For a rookie, a lot can be said for that. A hunger that has been building since the day he was drafted.
“Just come in and contribute in any way I can,” Wright described to media during OTAs. “First, I have to earn the star so whatever it takes just to get on the 53-man roster.”
He has produced with constant flashes in practices, whether it be an interception or a ball knock down. The tall, lanky corner has turned heads. Dallas has many returning cornerbacks including Trevon Diggs, Jourdan Lewis and Anthony Brown. Add second-round selection Kelvin Joseph to the mix and there will be competition for regular-season snaps.
The club’s three-day minicamp wrapped up at the Star and the month-long break period starts for veterans until training camp in July. Rookies will report to the team facility for a developmental “school” program this week. Additional strength and conditioning work will commence for the first-year players and Wright will continue to adapt his game to the NFL and Quinn’s Cover 3 scheme. One thing he will focus on is the mental preparation. Wright is an admirer of Richard Sherman’s craft, and his diagnosis is an element that the Oregon State product will try to model.
“I really try to emulate his mental process,” Wright stated. “The way he kind of slows the game down for himself. It’s kind of like playing chess. So being able to see the formation, know the call, know what you have and just execute. He has done a great job with that.”
Wright will be looking to build off the foundation he set during OTAs/minicamp at training camp. Do not sleep on No. 40.
