Perrish Cox Scouting Report

Perrish Cox is much more than a cornerback, but his ability to be a shutdown corner has him moving quickly up most draft boards. In limited action on defense as a freshman in 2006, Cox managed to tally 24 tackles and intercept two passes. In 2007 he started eight games and increased his tackle total to 42 and again picked off two passes. The numbers in 2008 were pretty much the same. In 2009, Cox has become more of an impact player on defense, ranking fourth on the team in tackles and intercepting four passes through ten games. While Cox is a serviceable corner who can be a nickel or dime back in the NFL, it is his ability to return kicks and punts that make him worth a second or third round selection. Even as a freshman Cox was one of the best returners in the nation and ran one kick-off back for a touchdown. In 2007 he returned one kick-off and one punt for scores and he scored twice on kick-offs in 2008, amassing a total of 895 return yards on kick-offs. He has yet to return a kick or punt for a touchdown yet in 2009, but he continues to be a dangerous kick returner. Since Cox is emerging as a decent corner, he should be gone by the end of the third round. Heading into the 2009 campaign there were some questions about his defensive skills, but those have mostly been answered. 2/15 Update: Cox failed to separate himself from other corners during the Senior Bowl, but he finished his senior season strong and definitely did not hurt his draft status during the Senior Bowl. That leaves Cox as a probable third rounder with the potential to move up to the second round if things go well during individual workouts.