Cardinals Select DE/OLB Cody Brown

The Arizona Cardinals selected sack-machine DE/OLB Cody Brown out of Connecticut with their second-round pick. Brown will bring youth to an aging defensive front-seven.

The Cardinals spent a formal interview on Cody Brown at the NFL Scouting Combine. Obviously, they liked what they saw. Brown gives the Cardinals flexibility at defensive end and outside linebacker. He is a good option to replace DE Antonio Smith who left to the Houston Texans this offseason.

Brown will make an immediate contribution on special teams and will be a big part of the competition for playing time at DE or OLB.

The Latest Scoop from Ed Thompson

What He Recently Told Scout.com

"A lot of coaches say they like the burst that I have coming off the ball. Others say they like the way that I make plays in the backfield and get sacks. A lot of teams told me that they were surprised by how well I hold up against the run. Because of my size, a few of them had thought that I wouldn't be able to do that as well."

2008 Stats

56 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, eight passes broken up, five forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one blocked kick.

The Player

Very quick and athletic ... knows how to use his hands to his advantage ... combination of size and speed will help him make an immediate impact on special teams at the pro level ... was one of the top performers at his position in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump and 20-yard shuttle at the NFL Scouting Combine ... 2008 First-Team All-Big East Conference 2008 ... didn't play football until his junior year in high school ... full name is Cody Dion Brown … sociology major.

For a full analysis of Cody Brown, click here .