The Washington Commanders finalized their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the Commanders turned to filling out their practice squad.
While most of the players Washington has signed to its practice squad thus far were with the team in the offseason and in training camp, Mike Garofolo of the NFL Network reported a new face is coming aboard.
Third-year linebacker Jabril Cox, a fourth-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in the 2021 NFL draft, is signing with the Commanders instead of returning to the Cowboys’ practice squad.
The #Commanders are signing LB Jabril Cox to their practice squad, source says. The #Cowboys discussed bringing him back on their practice squad, but Cox opts for the fresh start elsewhere in the NFC East with a team that had a high grade on him before the 2021 NFL Draft.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 30, 2023
Washington was high on Cox in the 2021 draft, and he brings depth and upside to the linebacking corps. The Commanders kept only four linebackers on the active roster: Jamin Davis, Cody Barton, David Mayo and Khaleke Hudson. De’Jon Harris was also re-signed to the practice squad.
At 6-foot-3, 234 pounds, Cox has good size. He is also a good athlete. Before spending his final season at LSU in 2020, Cox played four years for North Dakota State, where he won three FCS national championships and was a two-time All-American. He was one of the lone bright spots on that 2020 LSU team that struggled after winning the national championship in 2019.
In two years with the Cowboys, Cox has appeared in 16 games. He tore his ACL in Nov. 2021, missing the second half of his rookie season. One of Cox’s strengths coming out of college was his athleticism and ability in coverage.