The standard mark of success for a first-round pick is whether the player's team picks up his fifth-year option. Clearly, the Eagles chose well in 2012, when they traded up for the opportunity to select Mississippi State defensive lineman Fletcher Cox with the 12th overall pick. As such, the team officially exercised Cox's fifth-year option, the team announced Monday.
The 24-year-old Cox had somewhat of a breakout season in 2014, earning second-team All-Pro honors after a year in which he notched 4.0 sacks and 70 total tackles. Those numbers belie Cox's true impact on the Eagles, though, as his responsibilities in the team's two-gap defense often call for him to create room for those around him to make plays.