Cody Brown DE/OLB 6'2 244 Uconn 4.84

Cody Brown worked his way into the rotation, even starting a game as a freshman in 2005. He finished his rookie season wtih 20 tackles, five for loss, and a sack on the year. As a sophomore he was off to a great start but his season ended after six games because of a broken arm. Up to that point, Brown already had 24 tackles, 7.5 for loss, and 4.5 sacks on the year. He bounced back with a solid junior season, tallying a career high 50 tackles, 16.5 for loss, and 7.5 sacks. Brown was again a force in the backfield, producing 50 tackles, 15 for loss, and ten sacks.

Strengths

Brown is a playmaker off the edge. He has a knack for applying pressure off the edge and getting into the backfield. He is a very good athlete that has the speed to get upfield quickly and turn the corner to get to the quarterback. He also shows the agility and ability to change directions on the field, which give him a lot of potential to move back to a 3-4 OLB. His game appears to be tailor made for that scheme and he could be a terror as a pass rusher in the NFL.

Weaknesses

Brown simply lacks the size and power to play a down lineman spot in the NFL. He would only be a situational pass rusher in a 4-3 defense, so he will have to play for a team that employs a 3-4 scheme. Even in that scheme, he is going to have to get stronger and learn how to get off blocks quicker. He is an attacking defender that can over run plays at time, and he may need to be a little more disciplined.

Future

The 3-4 is the popular defense these days, which bodes well for Brown. Even though he is listed as a defensive end, he will playing linebacker in the NFL. He carries a lot of potential and should have a lot of value in the third round come April to a team looking to increase its pass rush ability off the edge.