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Florida football: Top 3 2022 NFL Draft Prospects

By Jeremy Trottier

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 28: Kaiir Elam #5 of the Florida Gators looks on during the fourth quarter of a game against the Towson Tigers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 28: Kaiir Elam #5 of the Florida Gators looks on during the fourth quarter of a game against the Towson Tigers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images) /
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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – NOVEMBER 21: Brenton Cox Jr. #1 of the Florida Gators sacks quarterback Ken Seals #8 of the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half at Vanderbilt Stadium on November 21, 2020, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /

Brenton Cox Jr. – Florida Football LB

Projection: Late Round 2 – Early Round 3

The next prospect to mention would be Brenton Cox Jr., who has been an absolute force for the Florida football program for the past few years.  Brenton was solid in 2019 and 2020, however, he had a true breakout year in 2021 and rose up a lot of people’s boards.  He has a phenomenal ability to get into the backfield one way or another, whether it be on passing or rushing downs, and make big plays happen.  With Ventrell Miller missing most of the season for Florida, we saw Brenton fill in on the defensive end and lead the linebacker unit.

Cox would end the year with 14.5 tackles for loss, 8 sacks, 41 total tackles, 4 passes deflected, and a forced fumble.  His ability to fill up the stat sheet, and do so effectively rather than just stat padding, shows his capabilities on the field.  He has the versatility to play a 4-3 defensive end spot in a pinch and a 3-4 outside linebacker which is where he focuses his talents.  While not exceptionally fast, he has exceptional reaction timing which gives him a very good first step, allowing for big plays around the edge of the line.  He is also able to bull rush at times which is exceptional for his weight and has shown the capability to drive tackles back into the pocket.  Overall, a high upside prospect who should be looked into by NFL teams in need of pass rush help in the 2nd round.

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