Jabril Cox NFL Draft 2021: Scouting Report for Dallas Cowboys LB

HEIGHT: 6'3 1/4"

WEIGHT: 232

POSITIVES

—Smooth, fluid linebacker in man coverage.

—Runs his feet through tackles.

—Has good ball skills for a linebacker, which may stem from his prep days as a defensive back.

—Sticks to the rules given to him and does not freelance.

—Lines up outside of the tackle box often, which is where the NFL is heading at the position.

—Pursuit angles are consistent.

NEGATIVES

—Does not have a fast first gear.

—Play strength is not a positive trait.

—Evaluation hinges on late-in-the-down foot speed allowing him to be a difference-maker in coverage.

—Run-defense snaps in few opportunities against Power Five opponents were not impressive.

2020 STATISTICS

58 TKL, 6.5 TFL, 1 SK, 3 INT, 5 PBU, 1 FR, 1 TD

NOTES

—Tore his ACL as a junior in high school, which hindered his recruiting buzz.

—Comes from an athletic family, with both parents having played sports in college and a brother who is a linebacker at North Dakota State.

—Was a three-time all-conference player at North Dakota State before transferring to LSU.

OVERALL

Jabril Cox was a standout coverage linebacker at the college level, but there are questions as to whether those traits will translate to him being a standout coverage linebacker in the NFL. If his play strength develops and he becomes more sudden early in the down, he has the potential to be an every-down starter in the league. If it does not, he may be limited to passing downs as a coverage linebacker taking tight end and running back matchups.

GRADE: 7.21/10 (Round 4)

OVERALL RANK: 132/300

POSITION RANK: LB11

PRO COMPARISON: Mychal Kendricks

Written by B/R NFL Scout Justis Mosqueda