Philadelphia Sports: Section 215 top 25 Philadelphia athletes revealed

Number two: Fletcher Cox – Defensive Tackle, Philadelphia Eagles

Fletcher “Man Dog” Cox brings home the silver medal for the Philadelphia Sports 25 Top Athletes competition—tough to argue with Embiid in that top slot. However, I’ve got this pretty little spider chart right here to show you just what a beast Fletcher Cox is:

While he isn’t much of a jumper, boy oh boy is he quick. A 7.07 3-cone time? Let’s look at some other NFL 3-cones:
Mike Evans, WR, TB: 7.08s

Trae Waynes, CB, MIN: 7.06s

Jeremy Maclin, WR, KC: 7.06s

Zach Ertz, TE, PHI: 7.08s

Khalil Mack, OLB, OAK: 7.08s

Randall Cobb, WR, GB: 7.08s

I could go on, but I’ll leave the numbers at that. With a mind-boggling 4.79 40-yard dash at 298 lbs, Fletcher Cox is a ton of mass moving at an incredible speed.
What does that mean for his game? Well, whenever you see Cox slicing into the backfield and disrupting a run play before it even begins, or pushing the quarterback’s pocket and forcing him into Brandon Graham or Vinny Curry, now you know why. Cox’s initial explosiveness off the snap helps him generate considerable power before offensive linemen reach their set points. That’s what makes him such a talented penetrator.

Remember when folks spoke about how Jim Schwartz’s scheme would help Fletcher Cox? This athleticism is precisely why. As a 2-gapper in Billy Davis’ (ugh) scheme, Cox’s explosiveness and lateral agility weren’t nearly as useful. His job was to control the linemen in front of him and shed at the last possible second, not to attack the backfield.

In Schwartz’s scheme, Cox has the freedom to 1-gap. He knows where he’s attacking on each play, and he can get there quicker than most others. On twists, stunts, and exchanges, his lateral quickness exposes plodding offensive linemen, creating ideal angles to attack the quarterback. Voted the most athletic Eagle by you, Philadelphia sports fans, Cox will be the centerpiece of a rising defense for years to come.