Philadelphia Eagles: Fletcher Cox graded as best defensive player in the NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles DT Fletcher Cox finished 2019 as the best overall defensive player in the NFC East.

During PFF’s annual rankings, the Philadelphia Eagles saw their franchise defensive tackle land at the top of the list when it came to the NFC East. Fletcher Cox received a PFF grade of 89.5, slightly edging out former Washington corner Quinton Dunbar (87.6) and Dallas Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence (86.2).

Despite his high PFF score, Cox actually had a below average season when it came to statistical production. He recorded 3.5 sacks, 5.0 TFLs, and 10.0 quarterback hits, a considerable downgrade compared to 2018 when he racked up 10.5 sacks, 12.0 TFLs, and 34.0 quarterback hits.

While on paper it may appear like Cox had a massive down year, the stat sheet doesn’t tell the whole story. The Eagles spent big in free agency at the DT position last offseason, handing over $30 million to former Jacksonville Jaguar Malik Jackson. The goal was to have a respectable player at DT2 moving forward, allowing Cox to face far less double teams.

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Unfortunately for both Cox and the Eagles, Jackson suffered a Lisfranc injury during week one. He logged just 32 total snaps on the season.

With Jackson out of the lineup, the Eagles had a bit of a revolving door at their second DT spot. Timmy Jernigan had his own respective injury woes, Hassan Ridgeway flashed some ability before getting injured as well, and finally the position was left to the likes of random replacement level players like Akeem Spence, Bruce Hector, and Albert Huggins.

Due to the serious lack of production the Eagles got from their DT2 last season, opposing teams were able to key in on Cox almost exclusively. He saw double teams pretty much every snap, and sometimes even saw triple teams.

Despite all this, Cox still managed to tie his career-high in fumbles forced with 3.0, and also recorded a respectable 10.0 quarterback hurries. Even with every roadblock in the world being thrown at him last season, seeing Cox finish 2019 as the best defensive player in the NFC East (according to PFF) is a fantastic result.

Heading into 2020, the Eagles have double-downed on their desire to add an elite DT next to Cox with the signing of Javon Hargrave. Making him the highest paid “nose tackle” in NFL history, Hargrave and the Eagles agreed to a deal worth $39 million.

Whether it’s from Hargrave, Jackson, or even a returning Ridgeway, the Eagles are obviously hoping at least one player can stay healthy enough to produce at the team’s DT2 spot. In doing so, Cox should see his double team rate cut in half, likely leading to a statistical season similar to that of 2018.