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One of the new names that Green Bay Packers fans are going to have to get used to hearing moving forward is Brenton Cox Jr. With the trade of Preston Smith sending the pass-rusher to the Pittsburgh Steelers at the trade deadline, the assumption is that former first-round pick Lukas Van Ness is going to replace Smith as the starting defensive end opposite of Rashan Gary. The position was already heavily rotated, though, which means that players lower on the depth chart — like Cox and Arron Mosby — will have to step up to make up Smith’s absence.
Cox, who was considered to be a borderline draftable player despite leaving both Florida and Georgia on less-than-stellar terms, signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent back in 2023. He made the Packers’ final roster last year, but he only played in four games and totaled four defensive snaps as a rookie. This year, he hasn’t been active for a single regular season contest.
Despite that, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is “really, really excited” about what Cox can bring to his defense. On Thursday, Hafley stated that a two-practice stretch stood out to the coordinator as a sign that the defensive end “looked like he was ready to go.” As far as the scouting report goes, Hafley is excited about Cox’s speed and athleticism.
Special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia says there’s a plan for Cox on his unit, too. Despite playing a limited role on special teams during his time in Green Bay, mostly limited to the punt block and field goal block units, Bisaccia stated that Cox is getting looks on multiple units in the event that he’s called into action.
So while we’ve yet to see a reason for why the Packers have invested two years of roster spots on Cox, they sure seem excited about him suiting up for the team for the first time this season. From here, Cox is just going to have to prove the front office and coaching staff right. It’s in his hands now.
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