(2023) Brenton Cox Jr.-EDGE

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Brenton Cox Jr.

EDGE

6’4, 253

Senior



Strengths

Weaknesses

  • NFL-Ready Size and Length

  • Explosive off the Line

  • Block Shedding

  • Run Defense Instincts

  • Off-Field Red Flags

  • Inconsistent Play and Effort

  • Lack of a Pass Rush Plan



2022 Statistics (Per PFF)

*(Ranking is not applicable this season)


2022 Statistic

Total

Ranking *

Rank Percentile

Pressures

21

N/A

N/A

Sacks

2

N/A

N/A

Hurries

15

N/A

N/A

Pass Rush Win Rate

15.3%

N/A

N/A

QB Hits

4

N/A

N/A

Tackles

18

N/A

N/A

Missed Tackle %

20.5%

N/A

N/A


Write-Up:

Brenton Cox Jr. is a very interesting case study for the 2023 NFL Draft. Cox played 1 season at Georgia before getting dismissed by Kirby Smart for off-field reasons supposedly. He then transferred to Florida, where Cox had a strong 2020 campaign (48 pressures, 4 sacks), but struggled over his next two seasons. In 2022, Cox was also dismissed from the Gators program halfway through the year. 


Separating the player from the off-field concerns, Brenton Cox Jr. has NFL-ready size and athleticism to play at the next level. He has fairly long arms and does utilize his length in both run defense and as a pass rusher. Cox has a very strong burst off the line of scrimmage and possesses great speed and acceleration. He has enough power to shed blockers and create leverageable positions for himself. Cox is a fairly apt run defender and does clog up run lanes well. He has enough athletic ability to hold the edge and keep contain.


On the field, Cox is a very inconsistent player more often than not. Sometimes he can display game-wrecking ability, while taking other plays off. And this was not just an issue for a game or two, this tendency showed up constantly on his film. As a pass rusher, Cox also seems to have little to no pass rush plan. He utilizes some pass rushing maneuvers, but overall tends to rely on his athleticism to win more often than not. In terms of the off-field issues, him being dropped by 2 different programs is obviously a huge red flag and will decimate his draft stock. While the reasons are not entirely confirmed, both Florida and Georgia seemed to have problems with how Cox handled himself both in practice and outside of the team.


Overall, Brenton Cox Jr. has the talent to have likely been a Day 2 pick in the upcoming Draft, but the off-field concerns will have killed his draft stock. His athletic talents may be enough for a team to take a late-round shot on him, but it would not be surprising if he ended up going undrafted either. 


Draft Projection: Rounds 5-7

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