Should the New Orleans Saints take Jabril Cox in the first round?

The New Orleans Saints have shown interest in linebacker Jabril Cox. While linebacker is a need, should they be looking at Cox as a future first-round pick? The team is currently slated to pick at 28.

It’ll be a tough situation for the Saints if they do target Cox in the first round as they have needs at cornerback and wide receiver. Cox could be a game-changer though, especially if the team doesn’t feel Zack Baun is primed for a starting load quite yet.

With the New Orleans Saints in a position to take the best available, should they add Jabril Cox if he’s on the board at No. 28?

The quick answer is no: they shouldn’t take Cox in the first round. If he’s there in the second round, then they should look into drafting him, but currently ranked as the seventh-best linebacker by CBS Sports, Cox isn’t a top-80 prospect.

Obviously, rankings differ, but the consensus would be that the Saints are overpaying for Cox if they take him at 28, especially considering they lost their No. 2 wide receiver and cornerback this offseason.

However, the interest is there, per WWL’s Doug Mouton, so the reach could be there as well.

Cox played one season at LSU, so he’s familiar with the feel of Lousiana.

In that one season which was widely regarded as a disappointment after winning the National Championship with Joe Burrow the season before, Cox totaled 58 tackles and 6.5 sacks in 10 games.

He also had three interceptions, a touchdown, and five pass deflections. That’s a full stat sheet in a mere ten games, and it shows the versatility that Cox does possess. Cox also stands a tall 6-foot-4, so his frame should increase his draft stock as well.

The Saints interest in the linebacker comes after they lost both Alex Anzalone and Kwon Alexander this past offseason. Alexander was released after he tore his Achilles just a handful of weeks after the team traded for him.

Drafting Baun in the third round last season, the Saints are still thin at linebacker, but they’re worse off at cornerback and defensive tackle in terms of talent and potential, so those two really do need to be the priority, at least in the first round.

There will be lineman and cornerbacks on the board that’d be more impactful than Cox. He may be a great NFL career, but the Saints need to not consider drafting him until either the second or third round.