Aaron Donald is the best defensive player in all of the NFL, but it’s about time that Fletcher Cox is listed as 1A or at least right on his heels. Pro Football Focus just released their ranking of the top-10 interior defensive linemen ahead of the 2019 NFL season and the two rivals headline the list.
Cox’s 91.2 pass-rush grade this past season put him inside the top 10 among qualifiers since 2006 regardless of position and he’s not an edge rusher.
According to PFF’s Austin Gayle, Cox ranks second behind Donald among the 125 interior defensive linemen with 500 or more pass-rush snaps since 2015, second in pass-rush grade, total pressures, and pass-rush win percentage. With Malik Jackson signed to take some pressure off, look for Cox to excel even more.
