THE NFL's 3-4 DEFENSE AND

THE NFL’s 3-4 DEFENSE AND THE DRAFT: Len Pasquarelli, who seems to write the majority of the copy these days for ESPN’s NFL section, says that the return of 3-4 defense is good news for many teams:

The return of the 3-4 front, utilized only by the Pittsburgh Steelers as a base defense in 2001 but set to be incorporated in 2002 by at least four other teams, figures not only to create jobs but also to place some premium on locating hybrid outside defenders. All those “in between” players, the defenders not bulky enough to play regularly at end or quick enough to be a full-time linebacker, could see their draft profile enhanced a bit by the need to fill spots in the resurrected 3-4 scheme