Is Jabril Cox poised for a breakout?

Is Jabril Cox poised for a breakout?

When the Cowboys took LB Jabril Cox in the 4th round, many fans thought it was a massive steal. Even though he was drafted into a crowded LB group, I felt he would sometime soon get his chance as a starter for the Cowboys. When the team cut ties with Jaylon Smith last year, they did it with the expectation that rookie Jabril Cox would be the future at the position. Unfortunately, Cox got hurt a few weeks later and was never actually able to be a consistent starter. But this year, a healthy Cox is poised to take over the starting role.

How Jabril Cox Will Fit on the Defense

Cox is an exciting player because he fits perfectly with LVE and Micah Parsons. Micah is the best all-around defensive player. He will give you everything from pass rushing to stopping the run and even the occasional help in coverage. LVE was brilliant in the back half of last year when the game began to be simplified for him. That is, when he wasn’t chasing running backs sideline to sideline. But the one thing the LB core doesn’t have is an elite guy in coverage. This is something Jabril Cox specializes in.

Part of why the team let Keanu Neal walk was because of how elite Cox’s ability in coverage is. During Cox’s senior season at LSU, he had the highest coverage grade of any LB in the 2021 draft. Cox showed his prowess as a playmaker in college with nine interceptions in 45 career games. He had a knack for taking them the other way. Clearly, he is an outstanding athlete and an intelligent football player, and he will help the Cowboys in coverage immediately. Cox has some ability as a pass rusher as he had three seasons in college with four or more sacks.

What Is Holding Jabril Cox Back?

His only real negative is that he often struggles to get off of blocks. But Cox is still an excellent sideline, and his bread and butter will be in coverage. Cox will be elite against RBs when forced to cover them in space, and at 6’3″, he will be able to cover Tight ends. The knee injury is a little problematic to the high-level change of pace he possessed, but at only 24, I don’t think it’ll be much of an issue. I would like to see the Cowboys still add another LB to sure up the depth, but between Parsons, LVE, and Cox, that has the potential to be a high-level starting 3.

Conclusion

I am incredibly excited for not only Jabril Cox but for the whole Cowboys defense. Micah Parsons is blossoming into a superstar if he’s not already there, and Dan Quinn has seemed to have molded this defense into a reliable defense. A far cry from being the worst defense in the NFL 2 years ago. Cox is part of the youth movement this defense has adopted, the front seven especially, and this defense will be a force this upcoming season.