Cowboys vs. Texans preseason stock watch: 4 up, 3 down

Stock Up: Jabril Cox, LB

The stock continues to rise for Jabril Cox, the team’s fourth-round selection out of LSU this past April. One of the biggest criticisms surrounding Cox coming out of college was a concern he was a poor run defender and slow to diagnose plays.

But it appears new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has found a way to utilize Cox’s skills, allowing the rookie to pay lightning fast.

Cox has been a tackling machine through his first three preseason games, co-leading the team with four combined tackles Saturday night. And against the Arizona Cardinals the previous week, he actually led the Cowboys in tackles with a total of seven.

It would be no surprise if Cox one day emerged as the biggest steal in the 2021 NFL Draft after falling all the way to day three.

Stock Up: Bradlee Anae, DE

With one of the best defensive plays of the night, second-year defensive end Bradlee Anae had a great stop on a run play early in the second quarter. The young defender did a great job of holding contain along the outside of the defensive line which resulted in a tackle for loss on the play.

Anae has flashed this preseason as a pass rusher and now as a run defender, racking up three total tackles on Saturday night. Yet, it’s still unclear if he’ll make the team’s final-53 man roster due to the amount of talent the Cowboys have at his position including Randy Gregory, Dorance Armstrong, Tarell Basham, and third-round rookie Chauncey Golston.