It has probably never been more appropriate for the defensive linemen and linebackers to work out on the same day at the Scouting Combine.

Once upon a time, there was a dirty word for a college rush end who wasn’t quite big enough to play up front in the pros but also didn’t fit at outside linebacker. That guy was a ’tweener, and although that term still gets tossed around in scouting evaluations, it more often seems to be applied mere fringe prospects. Think anyone would call Jevon Kearse a ’tweener this year? Plenty sure did back when he was getting evaluated.

The proliferation of 3-4 defenses in the NFL these days, however, turns such players into “hybrids” or “rush ends” or, most importantly, desirable. Three teams drafting in this year’s top 10 run a 3-4 base defense, and two others could join them. Miami has yet to commit to a system under new head coach Tony Sparano, but the man at the top, Bill Parcells, has always been a 3-4 guy. The Bengals say they haven’t decided what they’ll employ yet, but their personnel might currently be better suited for a 3-4 system.

If any of those teams is interested in grabbing a rusher any time on Day 1, there will be available talent at every stage.

At the very top of the board, Virginia’s Chris Long and Ohio State’s Vernon Gholston appear to top most sets of defensive end rankings. Each player, however, has also been mentioned as a potential 3-4 outside linebacker. Long is viewed as a hard-working versatile player who could line up anywhere from inside on a 4-3 front to an outside linebacker spot such as the one he got a few reps at with the Cavaliers. Gholston, meanwhile, looks like a pure outside rusher (the best in this year’s class, according to some) and could get selected to play in any system. At 6-4 and 258 pounds, he should be big enough to hold up as a 4-3 end and quick enough to stand up.

Another top guy who looks more like an end prospect but could move to linebacker in Florida’s Derrick Harvey. Harvey doesn’t quite possess the bulk that is ideal for an NFL end, but his size is almost identical to that of Kearse, who fared pretty well as an end before foot and then knee injuries began to hamper him.

Teams picking later in the first round in search of a rush linebacker could go after Auburn’s Quentin Groves, who proved a terror for quarterbacks before dislocating several toes on his right foot during his senior season. After returning, he worked at linebacker and even started a game on the outside there late in the season. If he impresses on Monday, he could climb toward the middle of the round or even up toward Gholston territory.

Other college ends who will likely move outside if they want to play in the NFL include Purdue’s Cliff Avril, UCLA’s Bruce Davis, Cincinnati’s Angelo Craig, UNLV’s Jeremy Geathers, Curtis Johnson from Division II’s Clark Atlanta, Georgia Tech’s Darrell Robertson, Oregon State’s Dorian Smith, Montana’s Kroy Biermann, Mississippi State’s Titus Brown, Vanderbilt’s Curtis Gatewood, Georgia’s Marcus Howard and McNeese State’s Bryan Smith.

Avril is just the latest hybrid on a list of Boilermakers that includes current pros Rosevelt Colvin (New England), Shaun Phillips ( San Diego) and Anthony Spencer ( Dallas). Davis was a highly productive end for the Bruins who leaves some evaluators doubting that he is athletic enough to make the switch as a pro. Johnson is an unheralded prospect who has been gaining momentum with strong performances in the post-season. He is a quick, athletic player who dominated opponents and lived in their backfields, notching 45 tackles for loss in just 21 games. Robertson was a smallish college end who nevertheless held up against the run.

There is some sleeper potential among the rest of the group, but the bulk of the available players look like second-day picks. For the whole group, though, Monday at the Combine could prove especially important. The linebacker drills will provide a chance to display potential at a position that many have never played before and will be the only chance before draft weekend for some of them.

What he needs to do
Most guys won’t have to worry about working out at a new position, but these days in Indianapolis will be important nonetheless:

-- North Carolina’s Kentwan Balmer and Texas’ Frank Okam are among the top defensive tackle prospects, but both could face questions about inconsistent effort. Balmer underachieved for three seasons before breaking out as a senior under Butch Davis. His potential bosses are likely wondering which guy they’ll get. Okam was solid throughout his career, but primarily thanks to poor conditioning, personnel folks are bound to wonder about his motivation and desire. It doesn’t help that there’s an easy link between him and ex-Longhorn Shaun Rogers. Maryland’s Dre Moore is another who could stand to explain why his production hasn’t matched his talent.

-- Virginia Tech end Chris Ellis, Hampton lineman Marcus Dixon and West Texas A&M linebacker Steve Allen come with red flags about their character, a touchy issue around the NFL these days. Ellis was arrested for disorderly conduct and missed a game in 2006 as a result. Dixon originally signed with Vandy before spending time in prison on statutory rape charges. He served 15 months before a court ruled the sex consensual and overturned the conviction. Allen is a superior athlete who bounced around to five different colleges.

-- South Florida linebacker Ben Moffitt could stand to test well. There’s no arguing his on-field production in the middle for the Bulls, as he was a playmaker in addition to being a top tackler. Flashing some speed and agility could only help his stock.

-- Maryland linebacker Erin Henderson should feel comfortable around the doctors and trainers, because he sure spent plenty of time with them in college. Of particular interest will be his left knee, in which he tore the ACL in 2005 and then tore the meniscus and sprained the ACL in 2007.

Last chance to step up
TCU defensive end Tommy Blake is probably off the draft boards of many NFL teams already, no matter what he does in Indy. Blake looked like a top 10 shoo-in after a stellar junior season, but a battle with depression led to him walking off the practice field and away from school (and football) temporarily at the start of his junior year. He returned to have an unimpressive campaign filled with missed games and weight gain. He’s back working out trying to shed weight and rebuild his NFL profile. He’ll have to do a lot of hammering in Indianapolis.

Belongs in Indy
Illinois middle man J Leman was invited to the Combine and is there to talk, but the ankle injury he suffered in the Rose Bowl likely means he won’t be able to work out before the draft. That’s a shame, because he was a tackling machine for the Illini over the past two seasons. His on-field merits might be enough to force a team to take a chance on him, but proving himself athletically would’ve helped. There’s talk that the guy who made 284 tackles over the past two seasons could go undrafted.

A trip down memory lane
Remember that discussion about 3-4 rush linebackers we had at the beginning of this article? Remember workout warrior Mike Mamula? If he had only come along 10 years later, maybe the Boston College standout could have found his niche in the NFL rather than finding so much of the Philly fans’ wrath.


Matt Schauf is an associate editor and senior NFL writer for the Sports Buff Fantasy Network and a contributing writer for Draft Stock