Draft Tip Sheet: Georgia's Glenn willing to fill multiple spots

Cordy Glenn has played every position but center at Georgia. (US Presswire)

Versatility can be invaluable for draft prospects, but in the age of specialization, many teams adhere to the "Kentucky Fried Chicken" Rule: Do one thing, and do it well.

There are, however, franchises that admire players who are able to fill a variety of roles.

Witness the New England Patriots, who chose former Kent State quarterback Julian Edelman as a wide receiver in 2009, and have used him in various spots in his three seasons, including as a safety in 2011.

The versatility of Georgia offensive lineman Cordy Glenn, who has played every position but center in his Bulldogs' tenure and has been a starter at both guard spots and left tackle, is one of the elements of his game that will be both scrutinized and debated in the next couple months.

"I [prefer] to think it's a strength," said Glenn, a blocking Bedouin, who started all of 2011 at left tackle, and who worked at that position in Senior Bowl practices. "I can really help [teams] wherever they need it on the line."

Glenn, 22, is a man of few words, particularly when speaking about himself.

He prefers, he acknowledged, to "let [his] play speak." It has spoken volumes, since most scouts regard him as a first-round selection. But scouts will probably also devote considerable verbiage before the draft to determining at what position Glenn will be the best fit in the league.

The consensus appears to be that Glenn is foremost an NFL guard prospect, rather than tackle, but there are still a few personnel people who want to look closer at tape of Glenn at left tackle in '11, and evaluate him there before making any decisions about his NFL position.

That's the case, even though Glenn seemed to struggle at times during the season with SEC speed-rushers, and also stumbled a bit in the Senior Bowl practices. Said one AFC area scout, in discussing Glenn with The Sports Xchange: "We're definitely leaning [to guard], but we want to be really sure, and take another look."

On the official combine invitee list, Glenn is listed as an "OT" prospect, but clubs will regard him at tackle and guard spots at Indianapolis later this month. One team even said that it might, at Indy and in Glenn's workout during his pro day, take a look at him in a few center-specific drills, even though he never played there while in Athens. Two other teams mentioned Glenn as a possible right tackle prospect. "It really doesn't matter to me," Glenn said. "I just want to play."

Probably, the former Bulldogs' standout isn't among the top four tackle prospects in the draft, arguably Matt Kalil (Southern Cal), Riley Reiff (Iowa), Jonathan Martin (Stanford) and Michael Adams (Ohio State).

The top guard perch is likely held by Martin's teammate at Stanford, David DeCastro. But that still doesn't mean that Glenn, who measured 6-feet-5 1/2 and 346 pounds at the Senior Bowl, won't be a coveted player in the first round.

There are still some teams -- Pittsburgh, New England, and the New York Giants come to mind as a few -- who highly value offensive line versatility. The Steelers, for instance, practice players at multiple positions during the week, and offensive line coach Sean Kugler has placed a high priority in position flexibility during his two seasons with the franchise. The emphasis on diversity has paid off for Kugler and Pittsburgh because of injuries.

During his college career, Glenn has started 28 games at left guard, 18 at left tackle, and four at right guard. His 50 starts tied former teammate Clint Boling, a fourth-round pick of Cincinnati in 2010, for the most by an offensive lineman in Georgia history, and are tied for the third-most ever in the program. Glenn may not have the feet to play left tackle at the NFL level but, if he keeps his weight under control and does well at the combine and in private workouts, it's hard not to see how his power, drive, and tenaciousness will keep him out of the first round.

Draft notes

• It will be interesting to see how teams evaluate Alabama's Mark Barron, the consensus top safety in the 2012 draft pool, since he won't be able to attend Scouting Combine workouts because of recent double-hernia surgery. There is much doubt as well that Barron will be sufficiently recovered for the Crimson Tide's pro day, which is scheduled for March 7. The normal recovery period for such surgery is six to eight weeks.

Barron is a physical hitter and solid ballhawk, with 12 interceptions in his career, and he has played in what is arguably the college game's top secondary, and also has the endorsement of coach Nick Saban. The injury isn't expected to keep him out of the first round, but might allow a few other safety prospects an opportunity to make a move.

• Speaking of safeties, scouts seem happy with the overall physical dimensions of the players in the pool, and several noted to the Sports Xchange in recent days that the group seems to fit well with the NFL trend toward using players at interchangeable safety spots. Increasingly in the league, even though players are designated as "free" or "strong" safeties, interior secondary defenders are being counted on to take on dual roles, and this year's class seems to fit that mold. "There are some top guys who can hit and who have good cover potential, and we welcome that," said one scout.

• Ohio State's Adams seems to have convinced teams that he might be able to play at left tackle at a high level. A few weeks ago, we noted in the weekly draft column, per discussions with scouts, that Adams might be a better prospect at right tackle. But after reviewing videotape, there are some clubs that concede the OSU star will be a left tackle prospect. Beyond the video, it's believed that Adams has helped himself as well in casual conversations with some NFL people, who are impressed by his football smarts, overall knowledge of the game, and his even demeanor.

• In recent seasons, the Troy program has produced some good-to-excellent pass rush prospects, the most famous, of course, DeMarcus Ware of the Dallas Cowboys. The latest, and a player drawing solid attraction, especially from 3-4 teams, is Jonathan Massaquoi. The cousin of Minnesota Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe and Cleveland Browns wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, and a native of Liberia, the Troy standout told the Sports Xchange that he "pays attention all the time" to Ware's performances.

"He kind of established a legacy of pass-rushers here," said Massaquoi, who had 18.5 sacks his final two seasons. "He's what everybody who comes through here wants to be."

Massaquoi, who was listed at Troy at 270 pounds, is more in the 250 range. But he has long arms, like Ware, and a good get-off. The Troy legacy probably won't enhance his profile with scouts, but it won't hurt, either. • Stanford wide receiver Chris Owusu, who has sustained concussions in each of the last two seasons, and who missed the final four games of 2011 as a result, has been cleared by doctors to participate in the combine. Owusu had 37 receptions in 2009, and has never reached that total again, although he registered 35 catches in '11 before his injury, and is regarded as a mid-round projection.

Notable is that Owusu, who is expected to run well at the combine, averaged 18.4 yards per reception in 2009, but saw his average drop in both 2010 (15.8 yards) and 2011 (10.7 yards), in part because of the concussions. A few scouts noted that Owusu became more of a possession-type receiver this season, and wonder if the concussions might have played a role in that.

Quick kicks: Atlanta general manager Thomas Dimitroff moved quickly in filling the void created by the departure of Les Snead this week. The Falcons promoted director of college scouting David Caldwell to director of player personnel, and DeJuan Polk, who has served as both a college and pro scout, to director of pro scouting. Snead, who was the team's director of player personnel, was hired by St. Louis as its general manager. ... As was the case in 2011, only one deep snapper, Josh Harris of Auburn, has been invited to the Combine workouts. The lone deep snapper at the Combine in 2011 was Virginia's Danny Aiken, who was not drafted, signed with New England as a free agent, and played in Super Bowl XLVI. ... Michigan State defensive tackle Jerel Worthy seems to be a guy getting a lot of attention the last few weeks from teams, like Carolina, looking to upgrade at the position. ... Scouts are taking a mixed view of the NFL's eight "regional combines" scheduled for the spring at various sites. A few agents at the Super Bowl questioned how many scouts will attend the combines, more than they did the registration fees of $190 for a position player and $250 for a kicker or punter. ... One high-ranking Indianapolis personnel executive this week dismissed as "really a lot about nothing" the news that top quarterback prospects Andrew Luck of Stanford and Baylor's Robert Griffin III will both have their pro days on March 22. "We'll be covered and it's not like we won't have both guys in for (private) workouts," said the official.

• The last word: "Wherever they point me, I'm ready to go there." -- South Carolina defensive end Melvin Ingram, who many feel is the best outside rush prospect in the draft, on whether he could play linebacker in a 3-4 front