Brenton Cox 2023 NFL Draft Profile

The 2023 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Brenton Cox 2023 NFL Draft Profile.

Brenton Cox Background

Position: Edge Rusher

School: Florida

Size: 6-foot-4, 253 pounds

Class: Senior

2022 stats: 35 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks, one pass defended (eight games played)

Cox spent time at two different schools that happened to be rivals, which made his journey unique. He has now declared for the 2023 NFL Draft.

After being a four-star recruit, Cox signed with Georgia. He spent one season with the Bulldogs, playing sparingly, and registered two tackles for loss to go with one sack. Cox played in 11 games, but was kicked out of Georgia and transferred to Florida. He had 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 2020 for the Gators. He helped the team go 8-4 and reach the Cotton Bowl. In 2021, Cox registered 14.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks in a season where the Gators went 6-7. Cox played eight games with eight tackles for loss and two sacks before being dismissed from the Gators.

Immediately after being dismissed from Florida, Cox decided to announce his intention to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft. He is a projected mid-round pick.

Brenton Cox Strengths

Cox has a solid stature for the NFL at 6-foot-4 and 253 pounds. This is specifically great for 3-4 outside linebacker, which he played at Florida. He uses his length well, as he long-arms offensive tackles and gets his hands up to disrupt passes. From his size comes good power, which he uses to shed well. He has violent hands and uses them well to be a good power rusher.

While he isn’t the fastest pass rusher, Cox is very quick at getting going at the snap of the ball. He routinely is one of the quickest players to react to the snap of the ball, which gives him a head start at the beginning of the play over most offensive linemen. If he can work on converting that quickness at the start of the snap into power, he could really improve his production.

His motor is always running. Cox shows good pursuit on plays, even when he is on the backside. If his pass rush is stopped for a few seconds, he keeps working toward the quarterback. There are a few sacks on tape where his effort was the difference maker. He can chase quarterbacks down and will play through the whistle.

Brenton Cox Weaknesses

The biggest red flag for Cox that NFL teams will need to look into is off the field. He has been kicked off of two different teams during his collegiate career. While he did throw a punch in Florida’s game against Georgia, that was not the reason for his dismissal according to to head coach Billy Napier. He was dismissed from Georgia for possession of marijuana and clashing with coaches. No team should draft him without extensive work on his background.

Teams looking for a super-flexible edge rusher who can get past offensive linemen on the edge should look elsewhere. Cox rarely wins with speed, despite his quick first step. He lacks the flexibility to bend around the edge. Because of his lack of flexibility, his pad level can get too high and he can lose some of his power as well.

Cox has a really good push/pull move that he has had some success with, but he needs to add more moves to his arsenal. This includes counter moves for when his initial rush is stopped. His strength and athleticism help him win matchups, but his production dipped in 2022 with just two sacks in eight games. With more moves, it should help his production.

Projected Draft Range: Third Round Pick-Fifth Round Pick

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