Philadelphia Sports Blog

The Philadelphia Eagles traded up from number# 15 to #12 in the first round of the NFL Draft to select Mississippit State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox.  Here is Geoff Mosher’s take from the Sporting News:

How he fits: Cox, who left Mississippi State after his junior season, is considered the draft’s best gap-shooting, penetrating defensive tackle — the ideal three-technique player for the Eagles’ wide-nine scheme. In the wide nine, down linemen are required to attack quarterbacks full throttle instead of reading and reacting like most linemen do in 4-3 schemes. Cox, who is 6-4, 298 pounds, ran the 40-yard dash in 4.79 seconds at the Combine. The Eagles think he can move outside and rush the passer from the end position. The only knock on Cox is that he could afford to get bigger and that he suddenly surged in his junior year.

When he’ll play: The Eagles have experienced, effective starters in veterans Mike Patterson and Cullen Jenkins, but DL coach Jim Washburn likes to rotate all of his linemen. Cox can start off in the rotation, entering in sub packages and nickel schemes, while he grasps and understands the team’s unique wide-nine scheme, especially the unconventional run responsibilities. He’s probably a year or two away from becoming a three-down lineman. Eventually, the Eagles hope he can develop into one of the game’s premier interior pass rushers.

THE TAKE

“He’s just going to jump right into the rotation we got and start playing. Working him in with the rotation — you know how we rotate, roll them in every four plays — will be a good way to break him into it. It will be fun. There’s pressure on the 12th pick in the draft anyway, but this will be a way to ease him in.” — Jim Washburn, Eagles DL coach Read the rest of this entry »