Daily News Agenda: Who will be the Eagles' next All-Pro?

Barring injury, it's pretty obvious who the Eagles' next top-level superstar is. Defensive end Fletcher Cox is missing nothing but recognition for his dominance up front.

It's tough sometimes, as a 3-4 DE, to get your due. Those pileups you cause, stacking up multiple blockers, other guys often get to leap in and make the tackle. Those pockets you push back, some other guy often gets the sack, or somebody gets credit for strong coverage downfield that he only had to hold a few seconds, because the quarterback couldn't hold the ball any longer.

Cox, the 12th overall selection in the 2012 draft, hasn't won the Pro Bowl popularity contest yet, but he was named second-team All-Pro last season by the Associated Press, which tends to be a more accurate barometer of what someone is actually doing in a particular season, rather than how much they get hyped on ESPN or NFL Network.

"I think Fletch can play any position on the defensive line in any system in the National Football League," Chip Kelly said last week. "He could be a nose, he could be a three-technique, he could be a one-technique, he could be a five-technique in a 4-3, he could be a four-technique. I think anybody out there would take his size, height and weight parameters for what he's doing."

The Eagles figure to have a dominant defensive line this season, and Cox should be the focal point. Of course, if you think Cox has already "broken out" as a star, even without Pro Bowl recognition, there are other possibilities on this revamped roster. Right tackle Lane Johnson. Wideout Jordan Matthews. Linebacker Kiko Alonso, or his young cohort, Mychal Kendricks. Linebacker Brandon Graham. Maybe even a healthy Sam Bradford at QB.

When you get rid of stars, other stars shine brighter. I think maybe Neil Degrasse Tyson said that. Or he should have.

The highest-percentage choice is Brandon Graham, because sacks are sexy, and he will be in a position to rack up a lot of them. But nobody in training camp has looked more poised to increase their national stock than Jordan Matthews, who in Sunday's preseason win over the Colts flashed what folks at the NovaCare Complex have been seeing all camp.

His only catch displayed the three traits that have been most noticeable this summer: aggressiveness, phsyicality, and great hands. He went up and grabbed a poorly-thrown Mark Sanchez pass, came down with it, and absorbed a big hit to secure a first down. He should have added a touchdown to his total, but Sanchez overthrew him on a deep crossing pattern on which Matthews could have both Whipped and Nae Nae'd into the end zone. It's going to be awfully tough for Matthews to make an All-Pro team given the production we've seen out of guys like Antonio Brown, Demaryius Thomas and Odell Beckham Jr. in recent years. But I'm focusing more on the "breakout" part of the equation than "All-Pro."

Matthews finished 2014 with 67 catches for 872 yards and eight touchdowns, all three of which rank second all-time among Eagles rookies (the eight touchdowns are tied with Fred Barnett and Bobby Walston). Matthews' numbers already put him in the same company as several of the receivers drafted above him in the vaunted 2013 class, including Buffalo's Sammy Watkins. With Jeremy Maclin gone and Zach Ertz expected to miss the preseason with a core injury, the targets should only increase.

I'm going to make a bold statement here. With the exception of Houston's J.J. Watt and Miami's Ndamukong Suh, the Eagles' Fletcher Cox is the best defensive lineman in football. And truth be told, Suh needs to start looking over his shoulder.

The 6-4, 300-pound Cox is a disruptive force, a havoc-wreaker. A strong, cat-quick athletic freak.

He can't be blocked by one man, and even double-teams are becoming losing propositions for opposing offenses.

He spent a good deal of the 2014 season in opponents' backfields, blowing up opposing running games and making life miserable for quarterbacks.

He had only four sacks, but talk to Connor Barwin (14 ½ sacks) or Vinny Curry (9) or Trent Cole (6 ½) or Brandon Graham (5 ½), and they'll be only too happy to tell you how many of their sacks were set up by Cox.

The fact that he didn't make the Pro Bowl last year, the fact that he was the sixth freaking alternate at defensive end, was an absolute disgrace and pretty much tells you how seriously players take the Pro Bowl voting process. Many of them spend more time deciding on a restaurant appetizer than they do filling out their Pro Bowl ballot.

Cox, who was drafted by Andy Reid and Howie Roseman in the first round of the 2012 draft, began his career as a three-technique tackle in a 4-3 scheme, which seemed a perfect fit for his skills. He had 5 ½ sacks as a rookie and the sky seemed the limit for him.

When Chip Kelly replaced Reid and brought in Billy Davis to implement a two-gap 3-4 defense, it initially seemed a waste of Cox's talent. He was going to go from a playmaking, quarterback-harrassing tackle to a block-occupying end.

But Cox has become more, much more, than a guy who keeps offensive linemen off of linebackers. It took him about a half season to really embrace the switch from a 4-3 tackle to 3-4 end. But once he did, he became an unstoppable force against both the run and the pass.

Davis moves him all over the line. Depending on the situation and the personnel, sometimes he's on the left side and sometimes he's on the right. Sometimes he's over the center. Wherever he lines up, he is disruptive.

Because of the scheme he plays in, Cox probably isn't ever going to be a guy who regularly collects double-digit sacks. But sacks aren't always the true measure of a player. Like I said, ask Barwin, Curry, Cole and Graham how many of their sacks were set up by Cox. Or watch the backfield penetration Cox gets on a run play as he either splits blockers or pushes them back.

The Eagles have a lot of good young talent on defense. Mychal Kendricks. Kiko Alonso. Byron Maxwell. But the straw that stirs the drink on that unit is Cox. Soon enough, he's going to get the credit he deserves.

Being named second-team All Pro is like winning a silver medal at the Olympics.

It is a great achievement and you are on the podium, but you are still on a lower step listening to some other person's national anthem.

Technically, Eagles fourth-year defensive end Fletcher Cox is already a NFL Pro Bowl selection. He was a 2014 second-team defensive end.

Still, that is simply making it to two Super Bowls or five NFC Championship Games – not the top prize.

The ultimate honor of first-team defensive tackles went to J.J. Watt of Houston, Mario Williams of Buffalo and Robert Quinn of St. Louis.

Cox was in the second group with Calais Campbell of Arizona and Cameron Wake of Miami.

This season, "Fly Eagles Fly" could be one of three anthems played once the 2015 All-Pro first team of defensive ends is picked.

Everything is in place for Cox.

At 24 years old, he enters the physical prime of his playing years.

From an experience standpoint, he has had three NFL seasons to develop his craft and figure out what works.

Because of the depth on the Eagles' defensive line, Cox's per-game-snaps can be managed to keep him at peak performance from September into January.

If the motivation to be considered one of the best is not enough, Cox is in a contract season. Considering the recent contracts Watt and Quinn received, he knows what a first-team All-Pro honor could be worth.

What really works in Cox's favor, however, is that he made second-team All-Pro despite being snubbed for the 2014 Pro Bowl team.

The Pro Bowl is widely considered more of a popularity contest while All-Pro is an actual acknowledgement of the impact players had compared to their peers in that particular season.

Cox being selected as one of the top six defensive ends showed that voters appreciated his total impact and did not just look for the pretty numbers on the stat sheets.

Although Cox did not have the double-digit sack totals like the All-Pro choices, his total tackles were near the top for defensive linemen.

Cox is a disruptive force. He gets into the backfield and forces plays to alter from their natural rhythm.

That is bad for an offense.

Cox's ability to draw attention from multiple blockers means the flow chart often comes to him as being a catalyst for positive results from the Birds' defense.

The Eagles have several young players like wide receiver Jordan Matthews, newly-acquired linebacker Kiko Alonso and offensive tackle Lane Johnson who've shown flashes of All-Pro potential.

Cox, however, is ready to upgrade his silver medal to gold in 2015.

Ed Barkowitz...Fletcher Cox

Les Bowen…Fletcher Cox

Bob Cooney…Bennie Logan

Doug Darroch...Sam Bradford

Jim DeStefano...Fletcher Cox

Sam Donnellon...Jordan Matthews

Paul Domowitch…Fletcher Cox

Marcus Hayes...Lane Johnson

Rich Hofmann…Lane Johnson

Dick Jerardi…Lane Johnson

Mike Kern...Zach Ertz

Ryan Lawrence...Sam Bradford

Tom Mahon...Jordan Matthews

Drew McQuade...Nelson Agholor

David Murphy…Jordan Matthews

Jeff Neiburg…Brandon Graham

Leigh Primavera…Kiko Alonso

Tom Reifsnyder…Sam Bradford

Christine Sherman…Sam Bradford

John Smallwood…Fletcher Cox

Bob Vetrone Jr...Lane Johnson

Deb Woodell...Fletcher Cox

Most votes: Fletcher Cox, 6