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TERRENCE CODY
6-4/349
Alabama Senior
40: 5.71

PROS: Massive guy that is very hard to move. Holds the point of attack and absorbs blockers, freeing up teammates and linebackers. Gets leverage vs. the run and can make the stop at the point of attack because he is very good in a short-area. Fights through and occupies double teams because of his size. Has a nice motor and willing to give chase. Has good ability as a bull rusher that does a nice job driving the defender into the quarterback. At times, can press the pocket and prevent quarterback from stepping up. Can toss aside guys with excellent power.
CONS: Weight and conditioning are very poor. Rarely asked to play more than two snaps in a row and tends to wear down as the game goes on, being less useful and effective in the second half. Has very limited range and flexibility and not going to make many plays outside his wingspan. Doesn't really know how to get off blocks, generally relies on anchoring. Has very limited burst upfield and not a factor as a pass rusher. Needs to do a better job firing off the snap in short-yardage situations, as opponents will get lower than him.
OVERVIEW: Cody is a massive guy that fits well in a 3-4 scheme where he'll be asked to play the nose and occupy blockers to free up teammates. He is a key reason why Rolando McClain was one of the top linebackers in the nation the past two years and his situational impact vs. the run made Alabama almost impossible to run against. But his weight is a major issue and he's never gotten it under control up to this point in his career. Weight 370 at the Senior Bowl, slimmed down to 349 by his pro day. But could easily balloon back up if it's not constantly monitored. A JUCO transfer that started both years at Alabama. COmbined for 52 tackles, 10.5 for loss, and 0.5 sacks. Worked as a fullback in goalline situations.
NFL FORECAST: Cody is definitely going to contribute on the next level. Again, for a team looking for a nose tackle that can keep blockers off linebackers in a 3-4 scheme, he'll excel there. But he's more big than strong, and his technique is fairly raw. He gets by because of his massive size, and I don't think he'll be as dominant vs. the run initially in the pros as he was in college. There were a few times where I saw him stalemated against bigger, stronger guards in college, the kind he'll face in the NFL on a weekly basis, so he's going to have to develop more technique, and get better at disengaging from blockers. The conditioning is going to be a huge part of his NFL success. It will have to be monitored, because there were reports that he ballooned up to over 400 pounds while at Alabama, and he's the type of guy that can regularly come into camp every summer out of shape. His optimum playing weight is under 350 and as of today he's at it. If he stays there, then I think he'll be very good. The weight won't stop him from being a capable NFL player, but it can limit him from living up to his full potential, just because he's so one-dimensional at times and has a tendency to wear down and get tired that he can't be a guy that plays 30-40 snaps like most NFL starting nose tackles do. He's going to have to work his way and rotate with a guy, and if he never masters his weight, he'll always be that way. But again, I should note even if he continutes to struggle with his weight and makes zero improvement from this point on, he'll be an effective situational player on the next level. It's just that teams is going to need a second guy to platoon with him. But in the end I see Cody being a very good niche player for a 3-4 team
ATL FORECAST: While his size would allow him to form an impressive niche in Atlanta as a two-down run stuffer, his effectiveness will be less because teams will be better able to neutralize him by forcing the Falcons into nickel packages, and because he can't play more than a few snaps in a row, could take advantage of his presence on the field after a few plays in a hurry-up offense to keep them from substituting. To really be effective in a 4-3 scheme, Cody would have to probably have to lose 20-30 more pounds just to add more quickness and improve his conditioning to take on the demands of the one-gap scheme. And it's probably too much since it was so difficult for him to get down from 370 to 350 (almost two months). He'd be a nice rotation player and help free up Lofton and the other linebackers to make plays, but not as dominant as he could be in a 3-4 scheme.
VALUE: Cody is worth a second round pick for a 3-4 team. If a team already has a good nose tackle that can rotate with him, then he could sneak into the first round.


SKILLS
1-poor, 2-weak, 3-above average, 4-very good, 5-elite

STRENGTH: 4.0
POINT OF ATTACK: 5.0
QUICKNESS: 1.0
PASS RUSH: 1.0
MOTOR: 2.5

Pros: Has absolute mammoth size and strength for the position. He is almost unmovable in the middle when he plays with good leverage. He does a great job of clogging the middle of the defense and maintains good gap responsibility. He has some quickness for a man his size and flashes an effective swim move to get into the backfield. He absolutely has to be double teamed or he will walk his man into the backfield and disrupt the play, whether it is a run or a pass play. He does a good job of wrapping up running backs as they run by him in the middle of the field.

Cons: He has limited mobility and rarely makes plays in pursuit. He has conditioning issues and is likely only a 2-down player in the NFL unless he drops significantly more weight to improve his conditioning. When he is tired he will play high and he can be washed out by a double team. He will not offer much as a pass rusher other than collapsing the pocket with an occasional swim move. Struggles to shed blocks and needs to improve his hand usage.

Overall: Cody is a prototypical 3-4 NT. He is a mammoth even for this position, and he should have a successful career in the NFL as a 3-4 NT. The only reason he won’t is if he lets his weight get out of control, but that is a very significant concern. He showed up to the Senior Bowl very out of shape and if he gets too heavy he will be very ineffective in the NFL, even as a 2-down player. But in a 3-4 defense his lack of pass rush moves will be less of an issue as he will largely be asked to occupy two blockers in the middle of the field. He should have a good career in the NFL, but only if he keeps his weight down.

Projection: 2nd round: I doubt he lasts all through the 2nd round because there are a number of 3-4 teams that will need a quality nose-tackle to clog rushing lanes.

SKILLS
1-poor, 2-weak, 3-above average, 4-very good, 5-elite

STRENGTH: 4.5
POINT OF ATTACK: 4.5
QUICKNESS: 1.5
PASS RUSH: 1.5
MOTOR: 2.0