A Peoria, Illinois native and well-traveled offensive tackle who took the long road from Northern Illinois and Kentucky to the Dolphins.
Marques Cox is a 6-foot-5, 312-pound offensive tackle who has bounced between several NFL practice squads since going undrafted in 2025. A five-year college veteran who started at Northern Illinois before finishing his career at Kentucky, Cox now looks to lock down a roster spot in Miami after a long apprenticeship on the fringes of the league.
Path to the league
Cox, born December 28, 1999 in Peoria, Illinois, spent five seasons at Northern Illinois before transferring to Kentucky, where he started at left tackle and played in 13 games in 2023 and 12 games in 2024. He went unselected in the 2025 NFL draft and signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent that April.
Career highlights
Cox's college résumé is built on durability and versatility on the offensive line, moving from Northern Illinois to a Kentucky program under Mark Stoops where he anchored the left tackle spot. His path to the NFL has been defined by persistence, cycling through multiple practice squads as he continues to fight for a permanent roster spot.
2025 season recap
Cox was waived by the Broncos out of training camp in August 2025, re-signed to Denver's practice squad that October, then waived again in November. He caught on with the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad in December before being released in January 2026. He did not appear in an NFL regular-season game in 2025, and the Miami Dolphins subsequently signed him to their roster.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Marques Cox
- Pro Football Reference: Marques Cox
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Offensive Tackle
- Group
- offense
- College
- Kentucky
- Hometown
- Peoria, IL, USA
- Age
- 26
- Status
- active
