Philadelphia Sports: Top 10 athletes from last decade (2010-19)

No. 5: Fletcher Cox

With what would turn out to be the final first round pick of Andy Reid‘s tenure with the team, the Eagles selected defensive tackle Fletcher Cox out of Mississippi State by trading up to nab him with the No. 12 overall selection.

The Eagles were obviously high on Cox and felt that he could be the disruptive force in the middle that they had long coveted, and they were right.

Cox would show steady progression throughout his first three seasons before busting out in 2015 and earning his first Pro Bowl selection. He’s since followed it up by repeating that feat three more times, in addition to earning All-Pro honors in 2018 after registering a career high 10.5 sacks and a fantastic 34 quarterback hits for the season.

I’m hard-pressed to come up with a more dominant presence on the Eagles’ defensive line for an extended period of time since maybe Reggie White. The Birds have had some talented linemen come through town in the over quarter-century since the Minister of Defense defended the Vet turf, but none have been as productive for as long as Cox.

It’s still too early to tell if Canton will come calling some day, but Cox stands out as a shining example of a how a home run on a mid-first round pick can pay off for years for a franchise.