- Joined
- Apr 7, 2013
- Messages
- 120,367
By Bob Sturm 41m ago
Today, we continue our series of breaking down Cowboys draft picks who have been slated to help the defense rise back to the proper heights under Dan Quinn.
Previously, I broke down the following players post-draft:
Round 2: CB Kelvin Joseph
Round 3: DT Osa Odighizuwa
Round 3: DE Chauncey Golston
That leaves a few players — there will be plenty more on Micah Parsons, and full reports on CB Nahshon Wright, and DT Quinton Bohanna before we exit June.
In this breakdown, I went to one of my favorite names in this draft and a player who I absolutely had earmarked for the possible selection in the second round at pick No. 44 before the draft as someone who would fit the Cowboys’ needs wonderfully if we assumed they would get a corner in Round 1, which of course did not work out.
Regardless, the Cowboys had to get their corner later, but curiously a top linebacker kept falling to them. They almost took him in the third round (twice), from what I have learned, but they kept opting in another direction. Finally, early in Round 4, they wondered why he wasn’t drafted. They could not resist any longer and they took him.
Ladies and gentlemen, North Dakota State and Louisiana State’s own, Jabril Cox.
Jabril Cox – LSU – Redshirt Senior – Kansas City – Born: 4/16/98 (age 23) – #19
Cox has played four college seasons. He played three for North Dakota State in which the Bison were crowned FCS national champion each season. With his degree earned, he moved to LSU for one season to confirm his bona fides at the defending national champion of the FBS world. We know LSU was in no shape to repeat last year, but he was a pretty large success story.
At North Dakota State, he had 14 sacks, 6 interceptions, 20 passes defended, 32 tackles for loss, and 252 tackles in three seasons and then in one year at LSU, he had 3 interceptions, a sack, 8 more passes defended, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 58 tackles. In other words, his productivity stayed constant.
He immediately was voted a team captain for LSU, despite just showing up as a senior, which is some Russell Wilson stuff there (he did the same at Wisconsin after graduating at NC State).
As a high school kid, he played baseball, basketball and football. He was a dual-threat QB, but that seemed to drop in interest when he tore his ACL as a high school junior. So, he went to ND State as a linebacker. His role changed quite a bit at LSU and overall his ability to show incredibly impressive coverage skills in the SEC thoroughly interested teams through draft season.
So, what is he? How will he fit? And if he is so great, why was he available in Round 4?
Great questions. Let’s see what we can find.
We know and understand that football (and sports, for that matter) is very much evolving. Now, the good news is, we never actually get that too “evolved” because it is a constant state of change that never actually reaches a destination. The push-pull existence of this sport (offense tries something new, defense finds the weaknesses that equalize the change, offense tries something else new) means that even five years ago might be outdated and therefore everyone tries to figure out what happens next.
Well, that takes us to where we sit in 2021. The year when teams attempt to continue to blur the lines between positions.
This has led to questions in Dallas that we tried to sort out here.
Here is what I wrote about Cox around draft weekend:
I think Cox has a real chance to take over as a starter quickly, but for that to happen in 2021 would require a rash of injuries to the vets in front of him. I hoped he would be taken on Day 2 by Dallas — the team that used Joe Thomas as its nickel coverage linebacker for a few years. Cox can do that with ease, and his question will be against the run. In his rookie season, I suspect we will see him plenty on special teams and perhaps as a coverage player for certain matchups because I believe he and Neal are probably the best there (we didn’t see Parsons play man coverage at Penn State much). He may get the fewest snaps this year, but I believe the Cowboys have big plans for him soon.
Since then, I have done some serious film study of his work. I was able to view his LSU work, but due to some SEC mandates with regards to their film and our usage, we will have to avoid using the impressive work at LSU here. Of course, I will remind you that there is always money in the banana stand.
Otherwise, I am able to look at his tape from his North Dakota State season in 2019 and have film clips from the California-Davis game from that season that resulted in yet another national championship (won in Frisco, Texas).
His biggest strengths are his size, speed and coverage ability. His biggest weakness is taking on the running game at the point of attack. I will show you as much as I can here, but we will need to describe some things in a bit.
One last thing before the film. His tools are interesting. He is a linebacker, but I might argue he is a modern box safety. You know, like Kam Chancellor. Now, let’s be clear, Chancellor played a position where he was the biggest and meanest strong safety in the league. Or, was he a small linebacker? And why do we need so many labels?
This year, everyone will have different numbers so maybe position-less football is happening in real-time. Is he a big safety or a linebacker who is more of a nickel option who might not be great help if you don’t keep blockers off him? Who can say? But look at the sizes of Cox, Chancellor and even new safety/LB hybrid Keanu Neal:
Comparing Measureables
| JABRIL COX | KAM CHANCELLOR | KEANU NEAL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Height | 6'3 1/4 | 6'3 | 6'0 |
| Weight | 232 | 231 | 211 |
| Wingspan | 79.5 | 75.2 | 78.3 |
| Arms | 32.7 | 33 | 32.7 |
| Hands | 9 | 9.5 | 10.6 |
| 40 time | 4.52 | 4.62 | 4.62 |
| Vertical | 34 | 32 | 38 |
| Broad Jump | 123 | 116 | 132 |
Fascinating, right? This guy has Chancellor numbers or better across the board. Does he have the same disposition? No. He is a former QB and has some elements of his game that suggest physical play sometimes is not his cup of tea. But, he can run like the wind. His performance against Texas A&M in November revealed a night of playing man against Jalen Wydermyer who will surely be one of the top tight ends in the 2022 draft. He was phenomenal and came very close to a shut-down performance on a tough night for LSU. That is where he really convinced me he can step right in and help.
Film study
Thanks to the North Dakota State film vault, we can show you a bit from one game in his final year in Fargo:
September 21, 2019 – UC-Davis at ND State
This first play is pretty garden variety, but I want you to see the mobility and fluidity of a linebacker who is playing a hook/curl patrol as a linebacker against a No. 2 receiver to his side. Watch him diagnose and pursue and then arrive with authority once the pass is made to the flat. Tell me he doesn’t move like a defensive back.
Same play from the end zone copy just to show you what we are talking about.
As we know, Job 1 for players in zones is to rally to the ball, corral the trouble, and then get the ball to the ground. In almost every case, Cox made quick work of crossers and plays in his area where he had to prove he could handle these fundamentals.
Now, this was a bit of an issue I see with Cox where he takes some curious angles at times and also takes some poor risks. This calls for a more conservative approach to the ball because he is outnumbered. He has to slow the play down and allow his guys a chance to rally to the ball. Instead, in a way that would make Leeroy Jenkins proud, he barrels in, misses, and the Davis RB is off to the races. Not the best way to play the screen and his buddy could have bailed him out, but you have to slow-play that a bit better.
Here, we see his greatest gift. He gets the ball. As linebackers go (and safeties in most cases), he has elite ball skills. He not only finds the ball, but he gets the ball and then he looks for big returns. It is uncanny. This game is not his best pick ever, but it shows a sense of “my ball” where he turns into the receiver in quick fashion. He uses his body to gain position, brings it in and heads north.
Here he is from the other angle. Again, not the best throw or the best interception, but he did this countless times at the college level. He constantly decides the pass must be intended for him. How many linebackers have nine college interceptions and 28 passes defended? Those are crazy numbers. Impressive.
This ended up being a batted-down pass, but Cox is in a trail position and runs down his man to where if this ball isn’t batted, Cox may take it back to the house. Quarterbacks are not used to players at this position being able to run a crosser faster than their receiver who had a head start. The end-zone angle below will help.
This quarterback is darn lucky it worked out like this because it sure looks like a touchdown for ND State. He is fast enough to comfortably trail (he did this with Wydermyer, too) and then hit turbo to catch up easily.
Now, with the Bison leading, Cox demonstrates the key of closing games — allow the ball in front of you and quickly close it down and end the play. You really have to like him in this setting.
Here is another one. Rally and end the play. When you have guys of this size on the field who can cover and run, you give yourself an advantage over those who go to nickel or dime and have a bunch of “littles” running around. This is a real piece.
Now, Cox is not a perfect player. He has trouble in physical runs. You might be asking where those situations were and I saw them far more often in LSU’s usage of him than the Bison. ND State used him wider and allowed him to do what he does well, but in the SEC and the NFL, you must prove you can handle physical play. He must prove that, but as a weakside linebacker or a passing down-only player, early, I think he can easily fit right in.
He just doesn’t get off blocks and doesn’t play with the point-of-attack physical edge that is needed yet. It can happen and honestly, maybe it happens quickly. But, he has the intangibles you look for in players and can do many good things. Honestly, the log-jam at this position suggests that Parsons-Cox might be a partnership we won’t fully see in 2021, but it is coming soon.
And I predict it is going to be pretty impressive when it gets its sea legs.
