LSU Football 2021 NFL Draft Profile: Linebacker Jabril Cox
Jabril Cox has that winning pedigree. As a three time national champion at North Dakota State, Cox's lone season in Baton Rouge wasn't one riddled with wins but he did prove that he could not only keep up with SEC talent but thrive with his playmaking.
He is the kind of linebacker that fits the modern NFL as he's not the biggest but he has the athletic traits to be great in coverage. At one time considered a potential first round pick before the season, Cox has seemingly settled in as more of a second round selection in most mock drafts and analysis.
During his lone season with the purple and gold, Cox recorded 58 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss and three interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Though it was only days before the NFL Draft, Cox was able to hold his own pro day at LSU on Monday, running a 4.52 40-yard dash and jumping a 34 inch vertical with a number of NFL teams in attendance.
Measurements
Height: 6-3 1/8
Weight: 232
Hand: 9
Arm: 32 3/8
Wingspan: 79
Bench Press: N/A
40-yard dash: 4.52
Vertical Jump: 34 inches
Broad Jump: 10 feet, 3 inches
3 Cone Drill: N/A
Here's the draft profile on Cox from FanNation's NFL Draft Bible, including a projection of when his name might be called.
A mainstay for the national champion Bison for three seasons, Cox made the most of his opportunity with LSU in 2020. A long, athletic linebacker who exhibits tremendous range and athleticism, Cox was a major part of three FCS national championships at North Dakota State. He boasted excellent stats while there with 258 tackles, 32 tackles for loss and 14 sacks.
With the impact he showed at LSU, his traits were shown to be able to transcend any competition level. He is a dominant sideline-to-sideline linebacker who can also rush the passer. Cox has outstanding coverage ability, in both man and zone.
He was one of the best players in the FCS during his tenure at NDSU, and quickly became not only one of the more talented defenders in the SEC, but in all of college football in 2020. With the competition question marks put to rest and another nice showing in Mobile at the Senior Bowl, expect to hear Cox’s name somewhere on Day 2 with the type of talent to become one of the better coverage linebackers in the entire league.
