The @packers have signed @brenton_cox_! #GoGators | #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/mlJcv6vAcN
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) May 1, 2023
The Green Bay Packers signed undrafted free agent Brenton Cox Jr., an edge rusher out of Florida.
Over one season at Georgia and three more at Florida, Cox produced 137 tackles, 34 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks, one forced fumble and 10 pass breakups. He played in 46 games and made 34 starts.
During a breakout 2021 season, Cox delivered 14.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks over 13 games. He had 4.0 sacks in a game against Florida State.
Cox, a five-star recruit who played as a true freshman at Georgia, was dismissed for off-the-field reasons at both Georgia and Florida.
At the combine, Cox (6-4, 250) ran the 40-yard dash in 4.82 seconds, hit 33″ in the vertical leap, covered 9-7 in the broad jump and completed 24 reps on the bench press. He added the short shuttle (4.57) and three-cone (7.57) at Florida’s pro day. His Relative Athletic Score is 6.33 out of 10.0.
Cox was Dane Brugler’s No. 39 overall edge rusher in the class with an undrafted grade. Lance Zierlein also gave Cox an undrafted grade.
Brugler’s scouting report: “A three-year starter at Florida, Cox played the ‘Jack’ edge rusher position in former defensive coordinator Patrick Toney’s scheme (Toney joined the Arizona Cardinals’ staff after the 2022 season). After a quick exit at Georgia, he grew into a key cog in the Gators’ defensive attack (32.0 tackles for loss in 33 games in Gainesville) before he was dismissed from the program midway through his senior season. Cox doesn’t rush with consistent power or a fully-planned out attack, but his hands and feet are quick and make it tough for blockers to counter. Though he isn’t an assignment-sound run defender, he has terrific pursuit from the backside
and the gas tank is never empty. Overall, Cox has draftable and rosterable talent, but based on his history, it will take an NFL team with a large appetite for risk to invest a draft pick in the player. His energy as a pass rusher gives him a fighting chance.”
Lance Zierlein’s scouting report: “Former five-star recruit whose dismissals from both Georgia and Florida could hurt his draft stock. On the field, Cox is a linear attacker with heavy hands and the ability to effectively stack and shed blocks. While he has some bend-and-dip athleticism as a rusher, he’s primarily a brute-force attacker currently lacking the game plan or counters to beat offensive tackles possessing a quality anchor. He needs more technique work across the board but has the traits to create advantages for himself on the field. He has the potential to slot in as a rotational 3-4 outside ‘backer, but he needs to convince teams the issues that led to his dismissals from Georgia and Florida won’t resurface in the NFL.”
