The 2025 NFL Draft is just over a week away. Professional football organizations are hosting final visits and making the final adjustments to their big board rankings. Personnel departments are focusing on the last weekend in April for the three-day mega-event in Green Bay that will include 257 picks over seven rounds.
For the Kentucky football program, the Wildcats are scheduled to have a busy Day 2 and Day 3 but might see one player sneak into the end of the first round. There are a handful of players that could become draft selections. KSR is here to get you ready after being there every step of the way during the pre-draft process.
Before our yearly draft guide publishes on draft week at KSR+, profiles on every expected Kentucky draft pick will hit the world wide web in preparation for the biggest non-game event on the sports calendar.
Next up is a multi-year starter at center who crushed the pre-draft process.
Player: Eli Cox
- Height: 6045
- Weight: 306
- Age: 24.5
- Arm: 31 1/8″
- Hand: 9 1/4″
- 40-Yard Dash: 5.02
- 10-Yard Split: 1.75
- Short Shuttle: 4.58
- Vertical: 32 1/2″
- Broad Jump: 9’1″
- Bench: 25 reps
Per Relative Athletic Score, Eli Cox is one of the top athletes at the center position to enter the draft over the last three-plus decades. The class of 2019 signee posted elite numbers in the 40-yard dash and on both jumps (broad and vertical). That shows some explosiveness.
Production
- 2019 (Freshman): 1 game, 6 snaps
- 2020 (Redshirt Freshman): 8 games, 7 offensive snaps
- 2021 (Redshirt Sophomore): 9 games, 9 starts, 579 snaps (at right guard), 63.4 PFF grade, 17 pressures allowed (1 sack), 4 penalties
- 2022 (Redshirt Junior): 13 games, 13 starts, 836 snaps (at center), 57.9 PFF grade, 18 pressures allowed (4 sacks), 0 penalties
- 2023 (Redshirt Senior): 13 games, 13 starts (10 at center, 3 at right guard), 735 snaps (580 at center, 155 at right guard), 59.2 PFF grade, 16 pressures allowed (4 sacks), 8 penalties
- 2024 (Super Senior): 12 games, 12 starts, 768 snaps, 63.2 PFF grade, 14 pressures allowed (0 sacks), 4 penalties
- Career: 56 games, 47 starts (35 at center, 12 at right guard), 2,931 snaps (2,184 at center, 740 at right guard), 65 pressures allowed (9 sacks), 16 penalties
Background
Eli Cox was a three-star recruit out of Nicholasville (Ky.) West Jessamine who decided to stay home and play for Kentucky. The in-state prospect picked the Wildcats over Cincinnati and multiple Group of Five offers. Cox’s family grew up a UK fan with his family being football season ticket holders.
Once on campus, Cox redshirted in 2019 and received a development year in 2020 playing for offensive line coach John Schlarman as a member of the Big Blue Wall. The interior offensive lineman would then become a starter for offensive line coach Eric Wolford in 2021.
As a redshirt sophomore, Cox started at right guard for one of the best offensive lines in college football before a hand injury ended his season prematurely. The first-year starter earn midseason All-American honors and had a very productive first season.
In 2022 under new offensive line coach Zach Yenser, Kentucky moved Cox to center and the coaching staff expressed a ton of confidence in him playing a new position in the preseason. That year would start a streak of 38 consecutive starts. Kentucky’s offensive line struggled over the next three seasons but Cox gave UK mostly good play in the pivot. After Jager Burton struggled with snap accuracy in 2023, Cox moved back to center from right guard.
Wolford returned to the staff in 2024 and reunited with Cox. The best two years for the Kentucky lineman came under Wolford in 2021 and 2024. Cox put together his best season as a super senior and was one of the best centers in the SEC in that final campaign despite the offense having some massive struggles.
Scouting Report
Eli Cox was a four-year starter at Kentucky with three years spent at center and one at right guard. The veteran lineman played in an NFL system that featured a downhill gap scheme run game. The potential interior positional flexibility jumps out immediately but this is very much a center-first prospect.
The college tape shows a center who moves well and can complete reach blocks. Cox shows toughness and plays with good pad leverage. Is a natural fit for the center position but overall play strength is a concern. Projects to be a good fit in a zone scheme at the next level as opposed to the downhill scheme he majored in at Kentucky. Shows good awareness in protection and can hold anchor.
Some projection is needed as teams in a zone-based scheme will likely be the ones targeting Cox on Day 3 of the draft. Positional athleticism stands out and will be a big selling point for Cox.
Draft Window
- Dane Brugler (The Athletic): 6th round
- Lance Zierlein (NFL Media): 6th round
The pre-draft process helped Eli Cox a ton and is ultimately want got the Kentucky product into draftable range. The center will have a chance to go off the board in the fifth round. It would be seen as an upset if Cox fell out of the sixth round.
Some teams that are not a zone-heavy offense might not have draftable grades on Cox but he is a clear fit for a zone team and there are a lot of them in the NFL. The super senior is set to become the sixth Kentucky offensive line product to become a draft pick in the last seven years.
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