Philadelphia Eagles: 3 players to keep an eye on in the third round

Oct 19, 2019; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks defensive back Israel Mukuamu (24) disputes a penalty in the game against the Florida Gators at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 19, 2019; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks defensive back Israel Mukuamu (24) disputes a penalty in the game against the Florida Gators at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports /
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Philadelphia Eagles Jabril Cox
Sep 26, 2020; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers safety JaCoby Stevens (7) celebrates with linebacker Jabril Cox (19) and linebacker BJ Ojulari (8) after a turnover against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

Jabril Cox, LB

A raw athlete from LSU who has been described as “an outstanding coverage linebacker”, Jabril Cox also fills an immediate need for the Philadelphia Eagles. Similar to the cornerback #2 position, the Eagles front office has truly neglected the interior linebacking position over the last two seasons, specifically when it comes to coverage-based LBs.

Lining up guys like Nate Gerry, TJ Edwards, and yes, even Alex Singleton proved pretty disastrous for Philadelphia in 2020, and the general consensus is that they’ll actively hunt to improve the position during this year’s upcoming draft process.

A three-year starter at North Dakota State, Cox didn’t transfer to LSU until this past season. While he was a bit of “late bloomer” in terms of generating draft hype, his past season operating in the SEC was more than enough to warrant a Day 2 draft pick. He thrived in LSU’s defensive scheme, specifically when asked to defend tight ends and running backs in coverage.

There’s some questions regarding Cox’s ability as a run defender, but that should be the least of the Eagles concerns at the moment. Singleton and Edwards proved they know how to tackle, this pick is more about landing a LB who can actually stick with pass-catchers in coverage.