Positional ranking: #7
Big Board ranking: #67
Overview
Position: LB
College: LSU
Class: Senior (RS)
Age: 23
Measurables
Height: 6’3 1/4”
Weight: 232 lbs.
Arm length: 32 3/4″
Hand size: 9″
Athletic testing
40-yard dash: N/A
Vertical jump: N/A
Broad jump: N/A
Bench press: N/A
3-cone drill: N/A
Short shuttle: N/A
Strengths
Athletic and rangy. Prototype overall size and plus length. Gliding movement skills. Great acceleration. Exceptional speed. Fluid hips in space. Matches targets out of the slot. Will easily run with vertical routes. Natural skills in man coverage versus tight ends. Outstanding awareness and ability to break on the ball in zone coverage. Excellent ball skills. Quick to shed blocks and run to the ball. Uses hands and quickness to fight off a block. Very good play recognition and vision to see the action. Usually well-positioned as a trail defender to prevent cutback runs. Can deliver a big hit with a clean shot. Uses length to set the edge versus tight ends. Identifies screen passes. Effective when used as a blitzer. Mostly an outside linebacker but has experience inside.
Weaknesses
Lacks some aggression to finish from sideline pursuit. Too often grasps/reaches rather than squaring a ball-carrier up and finishing with a form tackle. Would like to see him go through/over blocks more often. Will dart to undercut a block and miss a tackle due to a poor angle. Put on weight at LSU but strength might be just average.
NFL comparison
Eric Wilson
Conclusion
Overall, Cox is rangy linebacker with plus instincts and ball skills to make plays in space both against the run and pass. He could be more physical at times, but Cox’s ability to shed blocks bodes well for his future outlook as a three-down player.
Not much LSU compared to last year.
Not getting enough love