Tag: Jabril Cox

Browns attend LSU LB Jabril Cox’s pro day

Cox was injured and couldn’t participate in LSU’s pro day

The Cleveland Browns were among several NFL teams in attendance on Monday for one of the final pro day workouts before this week’s draft. The Browns took time out of the busy calendar to travel and watch LSU linebacker Jabril Cox go through his workout.

Cox missed LSU’s regular pro day due to a hamstring injury. The recovery time didn’t appear to slow him down much. Cox blazed a 4.54 40-yard dash with a very impressive 10-yard split. The off-ball LB did not do agility drills but did post impressive results in the vertical and broad jumps.

Cox is generally regarded as a Day 2 pick and has been linked to the Browns in several mock drafts. A transfer from North Dakota State, Cox is known for his quickness and his coverage skills. He shone during Senior Bowl practices playing in space and locking down targets in passing drills.

 

New mock draft simulation has Cardinals trading up for Kyle Pitts

What would a full draft look like if Arizona did in fact trade up for Kyle Pitts?

A few days ago, NFL Network’s Peter Schrager had a mock draft that had the Arizona Cardinals trading up for Florida TE Kyle Pitts. Jess Root outlined the potential cost of this move, and he and Seth Cox talked about it on the podcast.

But what if this actually occurred on draft day? What would their draft haul overall potentially look like?

Today, using PFF’s mock draft simulator, we find out.

LSU linebacker prospect Jabril Cox says he’s had multiple meetings with the Saints

LSU linebacker Jabril Cox, a top-50 prospect in the 2021 NFL draft, says the New Orleans Saints have shown a lot of interest in him.

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The Saints defense has taken some hits this offseason, especially in the middle of the linebacker corps. Alex Anzalone left town for a free agent deal with the Detroit Lions; his replacement, midseason trade pickup Kwon Alexander, was released amid salary cap cuts and continues to recover from Achilles surgery. Craig Robertson, their most-experienced backup and special teams captain, remains unsigned after his contract expired.

So it makes sense for New Orleans to scout their options at linebacker in this year’s NFL draft. One popular pick has been Tulsa product Zaven Collins, who was recently mocked to the Saints by ESPN’s Mel Kiper. But a name to watch out for his LSU standout Jabril Cox.

“No they’re definitely really interested,” Cox told WWL TV’s Doug Mouton. “I’ve been on multiple Zoom calls with them, they’ve said they’ll be down there for my pro day when I have it on the April 26, so the interest is there with them.”

Cox transferred to Baton Rouge from North Dakota State, where he earned all-conference and All-American recognition before making the jump to face top competition in the SEC. He’s on the lighter side at 6-foot-3 and 231 pounds — as many modern linebackers are — but has enjoyed the benefits of greater mobility, which gives him an edge in pass coverage.

Last season with LSU, he deflected nine passes thrown into his coverage (interception three of them) without allowing a touchdown or drawing a penalty, ranking fourth in the nation in forced incompletions. That’s part of a trend he established at North Dakota State: in total, Pro Football Focus charted him with 1,114 snaps in coverage at the college level, yielding just two touchdowns against eight career interceptions.

That would be a big boost to the Saints, who struggled to consistently defend the pass last year. Anzalone’s mistakes in zone coverage allowed too many free receivers running across the middle of the field and into the flats, and his athletic deficiencies made him a liability in man coverage. Alexander’s addition helped out in a big way, but his late-season injury didn’t solve the problem.

It’s easy to see why the Saints are in on Cox. His scouting report isn’t perfect, but there’s plenty of positives to explain their interest. He needs to get stronger and do a better job disengaging from blockers. He’s also notorious for erratic decisions in run defense, like plugging the wrong gap and taking inefficient angles to the ball. Those are issues that can be addressed with NFL-quality coaching and development; still, they’re flaws worth noting.

So where is he projected to be drafted? There isn’t much consensus on the exact spot or team fit, but the expectation seems to be that Cox will be a second round pick. Depending on how well he runs at his last-minute pro day (he had to sit out LSU’s initial workouts while managing a strained hamstring), he could slip down to the third round. But with the Saints slotted to pick at No. 60 overall near the end of round two, maybe he’s someone they consider trading up for. It’s a subplot we’ll be monitoring on draft night.

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Analysis: Could Jabril Cox be a first-round pick?

Looking into who Jabril Cox is as a player and where he should fall in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Jabril Cox has informed teams he will hold his Pro Day in Baton Rouge on Monday, April 26 at 10 a.m. Cox sat out of LSU’s initial Pro Day due to hamstring tightness.

What should fans and NFL teams expect to see from Cox on April 26th?

An athletic showcase mixed with the football intelligence that teams love to see.

Before transferring to LSU for the 2020 season, Jabril Cox was the best linebacker in college football that no one was talking about.

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At North Dakota State, Cox was an FCS All-American, and helped the Bisons win three FCS National Championships. At North Dakota State, Jabril Cox put together three seasons of elite production.

From 2017-2019, Cox played in 45 total games. In those games, Cox had 258 total tackles, 32 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, 6 interceptions, and 18 passes defended. Last season at LSU, Cox had 58 total tackles, five passes defended, one sack, and 3 interceptions.

In a pass-heavy league that is the NFL, a linebacker with Cox’s coverage skills is going to demand a lot of teams attention leading up to April 29.

Cox is an excellent zone-coverage linebacker with great instincts that help him move around the field in a smooth fluid motion. He has shown the ability to read routes pre-snap while spying on the quarterback, he can cover tight-ends in man coverage and he’s shown great anticipation while covering a lot of ground.

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The more tape I watch on Cox, the more I strongly believe he is being a little disrespected as a blitzer, too. He has great speed and can be a dangerous blitzer on the outside, in the right defensive packages. Most importantly, Cox has the football IQ to have a lot of success at the next level.

Here’s a quote from an evaluator I once spoke to that comes into play here:

“Knowing where you need to go before you have to be there is the biggest difference between a great defender and an elite defender.”

That is who Jabril Cox is whenever he steps onto a football field.

The more you talk to people around the scouting community, many have Cox being drafted on day two of the 2021 NFL Draft. That’s the consensus view from the media who have close ties to the league as well.

Could an elite performance on April 26 push Jabril Cox up team draft boards enough for him to slide into the first round?

We’ll have to wait and see.

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LSU LB Jabril Cox was impressive across coverage snaps last season

Jabril Cox was simply a cut above the rest at LSU last season.

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The LSU defense struggled for the most part under the team’s then-defensive coordinator Bo Pelini, but there were some bright spots as the Tigers tried to get their feet under themselves.

One of those bright spots was graduate transfer linebacker Jabril Cox, who was one of the best players on the team in his lone season at LSU.

In 2020, Cox recorded 37 tackles (6.5 for a loss), one sack, three interceptions, and one touchdown.

According to Pro Football Focus, Cox allowed zero touchdowns and recorded zero penalties while accumulating three interceptions across 352 coverage snaps.

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There were also 41 targets in there. This is impressive to say the least, and is part of what makes him one of the best players at his position in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Cox is grateful for his time in the SEC, and feels it helped him take his game to the next level.

“The SEC — the conference overall — it’s the closest thing to the NFL,” he told us after the Senior Bowl. “Competing and doing well within it can definitely help your draft stock. I wanted to show scouts that I could compete at a high level.”

It will be interesting to see where Cox lands when the draft begins on April 29. Teams we might expect to see select Cox are the New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles — purely based on the fit.

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Lions 2021 draft: A linebacker for every round

Detroit Lions 2021 draft: A linebacker for every round

First we tackled cornerbacks, and now it’s time to move forward in the Detroit defense with an off-ball linebacker prospect for each round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Lions 2021 draft: A cornerback for every round

The goal here is to demonstrate the levels of talent that should be available in each round, not advocating for any one path. Keep in mind the off-ball LB spot is one that GM Brad Holmes, senior assistant John Dorsey and head coach Dan Campbell have all not valued above the middle rounds in any of their prior stops, however. And with Jamie Collins and Alex Anzalone in place, the starting duo could be set already. Unlike Matt Patricia’s failed scheme which often fielded four LBs, very few NFL teams ever play more than two LBs at any time even against two-TE sets anymore.

The players listed here are generally projected as fits in the top 10 picks of the round listed, where the Lions would select prior to any trades. Even though Detroit doesn’t currently have sixth or seventh-round picks, we still included a linebacker for each round.

Draft projections are not always accurate, but these here are the general range where the players are most often ranked/mocked as of April 1.

2021 NFL draft projections for nine former LSU stars

Pro day is always a big day for the LSU Tigers. Each year, the NFL descends on Baton Rouge to see some of the NFL draft’s top talent

Pro day is always a big day for the LSU Tigers.

Each year, the NFL descends on Baton Rouge to see some of the NFL draft’s top talent. Last year alone, LSU had 14 players selected, which tied the NFL record most selections from one school in the modern seven-round era.

On Wednesday, all 32 NFL teams were represented at LSU’s pro day, with wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase the featured attraction.

And Chase, a projective top-five selection, did not disappoint.

However, Chase wasn’t the only former Tiger who stood out on Wednesday. Fellow wide receivers, Terrace Marshall Jr. and Racey McMath, both ran the 40-yard dash in under 4.4 seconds.

Safety JaCoby Stevens, a standout defender for the past three years, also had a big day on Wednesday.

Stevens answered some questions about his ability to play safety at the next level. While there was some talk Stevens may be too heavy for safety in the NFL, he weighed in at 216 pounds and ran the 40 in 4.5 seconds. Regardless of where he plays, Stevens will make an impact early in his professional career.

So, where could Stevens be picked in the 2021 NFL draft?

Here are NFL draft projections for each of the nine former Tigers who participated in LSU’s pro day.

 

 

 

LSU pro day shows off several potential Browns draft prospects

Ja’Marr Chase will be long gone but other Tigers could interest the Browns

The collegiate workout circuit landed in Louisiana for LSU’s pro day on Wednesday. The Browns were represented at the Tigers workout, as were all 31 other NFL teams too. And they got treated to quite a performance from one of the NFL’s most consistent feeder programs of top-end talent.

Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was the featured performer. He’ll be long gone before the Browns sniff the 2021 NFL draft with their first pick at No. 26. Chase’s elite testing could have him as the first non-QB selected in the entire draft, perhaps reuniting with Joe Burrow in Cincinnati with the No. 5 overall pick. But there were others who stood out for the Bayou Bengals.

Wideout Terrace Marshall Jr. also tested quite well. If the Browns are interested in a wide receiver at No. 26, he figures to be in the mix.

Others of note include:

  • CB Kary Vincent Jr.
  • LB Jabril Cox (who didn’t work out due to injury)
  • WR Racey McMath
  • S JaCoby Stevens
  • NT Tyler Shelvin

The Browns, of course, are heavily steeped in LSU talent already. Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Jacob Phillips, Greedy Williams and Grant Delpit are already in Cleveland. That gives the team more insider knowledge and perspective on the prospects flowing out of Baton Rouge.

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Three former LSU stars go in first two rounds of latest Touchdown Wire mock draft

Two trades on Friday shook up the 2021 NFL draft one month before the draft actually begins.

Two trades on Friday shook up the 2021 NFL draft one month before the draft actually begins. The San Francisco 49ers moved all the way up to the No. 3 spot, presumably to take one of the draft’s top passers.

The second trade involved the Miami Dolphins, who had the No. 3 pick before trading with San Francisco, moving down to No. 12 and then trading back up to No. 6.

With those trades, it appears quarterbacks will be selected with the first three picks for the first time since 1999. The question is, which quarterbacks?

Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence remains the favorite to go No. 1 overall, while Zach Wilson of BYU is expected to be taken No. 2 overall by the New York Jets.

Now, the fun begins at No. 3, where the 49ers could go with Alabama’s Mac Jones, Ohio State’s Justin Fields, or North Dakota State’s Trey Lance.

Mark Schofield of Touchdown Wire released his mock draft 3.0 after Friday’s big trades and went with Lawrence, Wilson and Fields as his top three.

So, how did the big trades affect former LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase? In many mock drafts, Chase was pegged to the Miami Dolphins at No. 3.

Perhaps, Miami sensed the run on quarterbacks, moved down, and came back up to get Chase at No. 6.

That’s exactly what Schofield believes, with Miami still getting Chase at No. 6 overall.

This is what Schofield had to say about Chase to Miami:

My money is on LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Chase opted-out last season but in 2019 showed everything you want to see from a young receiver. He can beat press off the line, he is a weapon in the downfield passing game, and he gives Tua Tagovailoa a fantastic option on the outside in addition to DeVante Parker and Will Fuller. This is suddenly a very dangerous receiver room.

Chase was the only former LSU star to go in the first round in Schofield’s mock draft. However, he did feature two former Tigers going in the second round.

Wide receiver Terrace Marshall Jr. is predicted to go to the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 37 overall. Philadelphia desperately needs wide receivers and Marshall would be an ideal fit.

At No. 51 overall, Schofield has the Washington Football Team selecting former LSU and North Dakota State linebacker Jabril Cox. Much like the Eagles need wide receivers, Washington needs linebackers to play behind arguably the NFL’s top defensive line.

The 2021 NFL draft begins on Thursday, April 29, leaving plenty of time for more trades.

A coverage linebacker prospect for Cowboys to consider drafting in all 7 rounds

Tim Lettiero reviews seven linebackers that can fit into Dan Quinn’s new system in each round in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.

There are a lot of questions surrounding the linebacker position for the Dallas Cowboys. With the addition of Dan Quinn, fans can expect the linebackers to take on a different role than what they are used to seeing. That could come from what’s in house, but there also could be additions in the 2021 NFL draft who could help at the position.

Going into next season, Leighton Vander-Esch and Jaylon Smith will likely be manning the starting roles. While current free agent Sean Lee mulls retirement, Keanu Neal was recently signed to provide some reliable depth and scheme versatility alongside youngsters Francis Bernard and Luke Gifford.

Vander Esch showed the ability to be an impact defender on the second level but has been unable to return to his rookie year form given his injury riddled career thus far. Jaylon Smith on the other hand has been able to stay healthy but has incredible inconsistencies in his game. Lee, Neal, Bernard and Gifford are all fine backups and role players, but none fill the coverage void the Cowboys have desperately needed filled.

As this 2021 draft series rolls on, a look at a linebacker prospect from each round is in order.