By Will Vandervort.

The nation’s No. 1 ranked defense from 2014 will be on display Friday-Monday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, sort of.

Six players from Clemson’s top unit will be participating in the combine – the most by any defense from school’s represented in Indianapolis. Defensive ends Tavaris Barnes, Vic Beasley and Corey Crawford are joined by defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, linebacker Stephone Anthony and defensive back Garry Peters. Fittingly, the guy who sometimes helped the defense out with field position, punter Bradley Pinion will also be working out for NFL scouts, executives and general managers this weekend.

Of the Clemson people scouts will be watching, Clemson defensive end Vic Beasley has the most to lose. He heads to the combine as a consensus first-round pick according to all the so-called draft experts, going from anywhere from No. 8 (Atlanta) to No. 29 (Indianapolis). Because he is being viewed as a 3-4 outside backer, some see him going to Cincinnati at No. 21 or to Pittsburgh at No. 22.

NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock says he is a little bit nervous in ranking a guy like Beasley, who he has ranked No. 4 on his list of edge rushers. Beasley’s weight is one concern and he wonders if he is big enough to set the edge.

“In the NFL, you’ve got to be able to play the run game and go up against those big tackles and guards and hold your own,” Mayock said. “You get a little nervous. So a guy like Vic Beasley, who is a gifted, gifted pass-rusher, if he’s only 230, and doesn’t have the explosion to get under people and play with leverage and power, it’s hard to say that he’s going to translate to the NFL.”

Beasley has one thing going for him and that is his ability to get to the quarterback. The two-time All-American defensive end set the Clemson record for career sacks with 33.

“Coming off the edge, first and foremost, you have to be a great pass-rusher or have the ability to become a great pass-rusher,” Mayock said.

So what exactly are scouts looking for in the evaluation process of the combine?

“Conceptually it makes sense, but sometimes it gets kind of skewed, and obviously the forty is a big deal. That seems to be the marquee event,” Mayock said. “I don’t really care as much about a 40-yard dash for an offensive lineman. I look at their 10-yard dashes, although it’s hard to say that Dontari Poe at 346 pounds running 4.98 is not impressive.

“I don’t think the forty is that important for offensive linemen and defensive linemen. I think it is very important for skill position people. I think the change-of direction stuff, the short shuttle and the three-cone is important for the linebackers, the defensive backs, the running backs. You get to see quickness, change of direction. You see whether a guy is quicker than he is fast in a straight line, and those are important things… It all kind of balances out. There’s checks and balances everywhere, but I’d throw out some of the stuff, and it’s really position oriented, and I think the important thing is after those drills are over and the coaches come out and put them through football drills, I think we really get an opportunity to see one kid after another in their movement skills, and it kind of exposes flaws.”

Mayock likes Anthony as either and insider backer in a 3-4 defense or as a middle linebacker in a 4-3 scheme. He thinks he can be a starter at either position in the NFL. He has the Tigers’ All-ACC linebacker No. 5 on his list of linebackers. Anthony is projected to be taken anywhere from the second to fourth round.

As for Jarrett, Mayock says “quickness is his ally” and that he is a fun guy to watch.

“When he’s on the move, he’s like a pinball in there,” the draft expert said. “He’s bouncing off people, getting up the field and creating havoc.”

Mayock says the knock on Jarrett is that when he’s trying to hold the point of attack a big body can get up on him.

Schedule of on-field workouts:
Friday, Feb. 20: Specialists, offensive linemen, tight ends
Saturday, Feb. 21: Quarterbacks, running backs wide receivers
Sunday: Feb. 22: Defensive linemen, linebackers
Monday, Feb. 23: Defensive backs