Coming out of USC the report on Cody was that he was a quick, explosive DT who was best at shooting the gaps and struggled when he had to take on blocks, especially double teams -- very similar to Bulman's, although Cody was considered a much better prospect. I'm not sure how the Lions used Cody but he seemed like he'd be a perfect fit as the undertackle in Marinelli's defense. Obviously from the lack of production that didn't quite pan out.
As far as playing him much at DE, his short arms would probably make him a bad match up against NFL OTs. He'd probably have to do a lot of stunting and moving to keep them from getting their hands on him and neutralizing him.
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