Detroit Lions: 5 prospects that need to be targeted on Draft Day

The Detroit Lions should target Jabril Cox in the NFL Draft.

LSU linebacker is one of my 2021 draft crushes, and someone, the Detroit Lions, could add in the third-round.  Linebacker is a position of need, and if selected by the Lions, Cox can be mentored by standout veteran linebacker Jamie Collins.

The major concern surrounding Jabril Cox is the ability to defend the run.  Like Jarrad Davis, Cox is a tremendous athlete, but runners tend to bounce off of him at times.  Struggling to get a ball carrier to the ground can be significantly detrimental to a defense at the NFL level.

The 6-foot-4, 231-pound linebacker is a bit undersized to play inside in a 3-4 scheme. Although he’s not nearly as polished as Roche or Perkins as an edge-rusher, he projects more as a coverage linebacker similar to Collins.

Cox can be utilized in sub-packages at the NFL level but won’t have much appeal as a three-down linebacker.

"Cox played his first three college seasons with North Dakota State recording 258 tackles, 32 tackles for losses, 14 sacks, six interceptions, and 18 pass deflections according to Raider Maven."

Before last season, Cox transferred to LSU for his senior year. He continued to excel as a coverage linebacker defending five passes and recording three interceptions in ten games.  Cox recorded 58 tackles, 6.5 of which came for a loss along with notching one sack and one touchdown.

Cox has launched himself into the second-round radar, but I hope he slides to the third round and becomes an option for Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes.  I prefer to select a pass-rusher here, but if Roche and Perkins are gone, we all know the organization needs coverage linebackers, and Cox is one of the best in the class.