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Joe Cox
6-1/200
Georgia Senior

Pros: Has a decent arm that gets some zip on his throws. Has good touch, accurate, anticipating some throws, and shows ability to throw to the receiver's back shoulder. He has a quick release and makes good decisions for the most part. Has nice mobility and is effective off the bootleg. Works well out of the shotgun.
Cons: Lacks size and has trouble finding passing lanes and too many passes batted down. Holds onto the ball too long waiting for receivers to get open. Stares down receivers and doesn't consistently go through his progressions. Needs to improve his footwork and do a better job stepping into his throws.
Overview: He sat for three years behind Stafford and they are polar opposites in their ability.
NFL Forecast: Cox is destined to be a backup quarterback somewhere, and is smart enough that down the road he can be a decent stopgap starter. The biggest problem for him is that he plays small and doesn't have a big arm. If he can improve his mechanics and footwork, his arm is good enough to compete in the NFL. And in time that can improve. Cox is going to have to go to a team that wants a smart, accurate quarterback that can work a lot in spread sets. I think he's a player that can be like a Jim Sorgi/Damon Huard-type of backup. Perhaps five or six years down the road, he might be ready to be a decent stopgap starter. But Cox is likely a career backup that I think can be a competent No. 2, but never will be a highly thought of one. He is better served if he goes undrafted since he can choose which team he goes to, because he is not going to fit in everybody's scheme.
ATL Forecast: Cox could fit in the Falcons scheme, and is good enough that he could challenge the likes of Shockley and Wilson for a roster spot. He needs a bit more polish, and probably would be better served sitting on the practice squad for another year. He's not really a threat to ever challenge for a starting spot, and probably would spend his entire career as a No. 2. With a year on the practice squad, he'd have a legit shot at winning a roster spot in 2011.
Value: Cox is worth a seventh round pick for a team with an open No. 3 spot and is the right fit. But for most teams, he's an undrafted free agent worth a look in camp.

SKILLS
1-poor, 2-weak, 3-above average, 4-very good, 5-elite

ARM STRENGTH: 2.0
ACCURACY: 3.5
MOBILITY: 3.0
DECISION MAKING: 3.0
MECHANICS: 2.5
POCKET AWARENESS: 2.0
INTANGIBLES: 3.0

Pros- Is clearly a patient man as he waited his entire career for a shot at starting as a senior. Seems to have a good head on his shoulders, and regularly makes changes at the line of scrimmage or identifies blitzes to pick up. Has pretty good accuracy, and has good zip on his throws when they are shorter or in the middle of the field. He throws a nice deep ball as well even though he doesn’t have very good arm strength. Has pretty good mobility to buy time in or outside of the pocket, and has pretty good footwork in the pocket.

Cons- Does not have a strong arm and a significant portion of his passes lack zip, especially in the intermediate range and to the sideline on outs, etc. He throws a nice deep ball but they regularly have a lot of air under them which gives the safety time to react and close on the ball, making it less effective. He does not seem to handle pressure very well, as he will dump the ball off quicker after he is pressure regularly and will not go through all of his progressions like he should, even when he has better protection. Doesn’t always recognize blitzers coming, and doesn’t seem to have a great feel for the pocket. Will also throw off balance when he feels the rush coming instead of stepping into his throws, which limits his effectiveness. Needs some polishing on his footwork on his drops and needs to be drilled to always set his feet and step into his throws since he doesn’t have the arm strength to compensate for that. His release is decent, but he has to load up at times to make certain throws which slows his release.

Overall: Cox doesn’t have a lot of upside as a NFL QB because he lacks size, arm strength and the elite accuracy to make up for it his previously mentioned short-comings. He is a pretty cerebral player but he does not handle pressure very well and will panic when he feels the rush coming at times. A significant portion of his throws lack zip, especially once they hit the intermediate level of the field. For this reason I really doubt that he will ever be anything more than a #2 in the NFL. He will have to get a shot as a #3 at the beginning of his career, and he could potentially stick in that capacity. If he can clean up some of his footwork, get comfortable with the playbook like he was able to at Georgia as a backup and clean up some of his mechanical issues he could solidify himself as a decent backup in the NFL. I don’t think he will ever be an effective starter though.

Projection: 6th-7th round: I had Cox as a potential sleeper earlier in the year, but he didn’t have the year I thought he might have and his stock has not risen much as a result. However I do think he is a pretty good bet to get drafted in the 6th round or maybe the 7th which is more than he could say before the season started. His ceiling is probably a solid #2 in the NFL but there will always be demand for a quality back-up, so he will get a shot somewhere. The question is whether it will be as a 6th-7th round pick or as a UDFA.

SKILLS
1-poor, 2-weak, 3-above average, 4-very good, 5-elite

ARM STRENGTH: 2.0
ACCURACY: 3.0
MOBILITY: 3.0
DECISION MAKING: 3.0
MECHANICS: 2.5
POCKET AWARENESS: 2.0
INTANGIBLES: 3.0