After watching the Eagles victory over the Ravens in All-22 coaches film yesterday, I was all prepared to write one big post about my observations. Then I realized I had too many images to comfortably load into one post. So last night, if you were around, I showed you one play that highlights Danny Watkins' improvement.



This morning, we'll look at this year's first round pick, a much more positive read. Fletcher Cox has flown under the radar since arriving in August. He did little of note in the preseason, and was outshined early on by rookie teammates Mychal Kendricks and Brandon Boykin. The trouble is, it's difficult to examine defensive tackle play, especially in real time. Unless they're getting sacks or tackles for a loss, trench players just don't stand out.

At least, until you turn on the coaches film. When I watched Cox against the Ravens, I saw a player who is already the Eagles best run stuffer and an emerging force in pass rushing. He routinely beat Ravens right guard Marshal Yanda, a sixth-year player who was re-signed last year to a $32 million contract and then earned All-Pro honors. By the end of the day, Cox was drawing double teams left and right, which allowed DeMeco Ryans to make some of his biggest plays.

Let's roll the film. Here's Cox, one on one with Yanda in the second quarter. Check out these three successive freeze-frames: