Dallas Cowboys: Ranking new additions by order of importance

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 25: Keanu Neal #22 of the Atlanta Falcons reacts after making a tackle against the Detroit Lions during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 25, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 25: Keanu Neal #22 of the Atlanta Falcons reacts after making a tackle against the Detroit Lions during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 25, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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Dallas Cowboys
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA – SEPTEMBER 26: Jabril Cox #19 of the LSU Tigers intercepts a pass for a toucdown against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during a NCAA football game at Tiger Stadium on September 26, 2020 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

10. Jabril Cox, LB

It’s tempting to put Jabril Cox even higher than this because he did something important even before stepping on the field — he made it even more likely that the Dallas Cowboys could move on from both Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch in 2022.

Of course, that also brings into consideration the addition of Micah Parsons who was their first-round pick and Keanu Neal could factor into that as well. Because of that, Cox slides to No. 10 on this list and may serve primarily as a special teams player during his rookie season.

Having said that, the ceiling is very high for him. Cox is a redshirt freshman who was head and shoulders above the competition while playing for the North Dakota State Bison. Then, he moved to LSU where he continued to shine.

In 10 games for the Tigers, he had 58 tackles and three interceptions. He then stood out at the Senior Bowl, which made it seem as though he could have been a day two pick. Dallas, however, landed him early on day three which was quite the steal.

Cox is a player who does something their linebackers struggle with ‚— excels in coverage. His sideline to sideline speed is also a major asset and he could be a fixture in this defense in 2022 and beyond.