The college football season is over; withdrawals, depression, misery. Before you slip into an apathetic stupor for eight months, remember that the NFL Draft is just around the corner! From now until April's NFL Draft, I will be profiling some of the more interesting prospects. I can't promise that I'll get to your favorite player, but if you'd like to see a certain player profiled, shoot us an email and let us know.

- 2010 NFL Draft Player Rankings by Position

Terrence Cody is a behemoth of a man. He stands at 6'5, 365 pounds and has been the anchor on the Crimson Tide defensive line since transferring from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College for the 2008 season. His 28 tackles in 2009 don't jump off the page, but the big guy commands a lot of attention at the nose tackle position. Expect him to be taken by a team using a 3-4 scheme; a massive nose tackle is one of the key ingredients to its success.

For the longest time I had considered Cody a perfect candidate to take over for Jason Ferguson on the Miami Dolphins defensive line. Ferguson suffered a season-ending knee injury on November 19 and is approaching the end of his career. Bill Parcels loves SEC guys and understands the value of the guys up front. But when Miami landed the 12th pick of the draft, I began to question my 'Cody-to-Miami' prediction. If Rolando McClain is available, look for Miami to go in that direction, but don't be surprised to see the 'Phins take a defensive lineman to plug their interior if McClain is off the board, and don't be surprised if that's Cody.

Cody is widely thought to be the 3rd, 4th or 5th best defensive tackle in the draft. Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh is clearly the top choice at the position (and in the entire draft pool if you ask me), with Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy a pretty clear second. After that personal preference takes over. UCLA's Brian Price and Tennessee's Dan Williams are other defensive tackles that could go in the first round. And don't forget about UNC's Marvin Austin, who just recently threw his name into the hat.

In my book Cody has an edge on Price and Williams because of the rare combination of size and athleticism he brings to the table. Most fans, especially in Tennessee, will remember his two blocked field goals against the Volunteers and his post-block celebratory run that gave a whole new meaning to the term 'rammer jammer'.

We're still pre-combine here, but Cody's conditioning has been questioned by some. The combine and his pro day will be an important proving ground for Cody who hopes to slip into the first half of the first round. At this point, I see the second half of round one as a more likely landing spot. If Cody is taken #12 by Miami, it will probably be considered a reach by most unless he kills the pre-draft workouts.

As most teams have by now switched to a 3-4 scheme, Cody and other nose tackle prospects will see their draft stock benefit. One possible landing spot near the bottom of round one is Minnesota. Cody's size alone will require that opposing offenses pay him extra attention. That could potentially take a lot of heat off of Jared Allen if the Vikings do grab him. Dallas could also use a big nose tackle for the middle of their line and the New York Giants are always accumulating defensive linemen. - Danny Hobrock

• For more player profiles and complete coverage of this Year's NFL Draft, visit our NFL Draft Prospects Home Page with new profiles being added each week.

Danny is a sports journalist primarily covering college football and professional baseball. His work for Xtra Point Football has garnered national attention and is critically acclaimed. Danny is the former editor of a political and current events website and the editor of our college football content.

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