NFL Combine 2012: Small-School Linemen with Plenty to Prove at the Combine

As the NFL scouting combine gets up to speed, the first group of players set to go through the meat grinder are the special teams players, tight ends and offensive linemen.

For some of the big names, such as tackle Matt Kalil of USC and Georgia guard Cordy Glenn, the combine is little more than a formality, as unless something truly cataclysmic occurs, their status as first-round selections in the upcoming NFL draft is secure.

However, for some of the nation's lesser-known offensive linemen, the combine is hugely (pardon the pun) important, as these small-school stars attempt to show that they too are ready for the biggest stage in football.

Tom Compton: OT, South Dakota

One of the headliners of the contingent of players from the FCS level of college football that are attending the combine is offensive tackle Tom Compton, a fleet-footed 6'6", 314-pound player who anchored a South Dakota offensive line that averaged over 150 rushing yards per game last year.

The first team FCS All-American is a little undersized for the National Football League and will need to impress in the bench press in order to alleviate doubts about his strength, but if Compton is able to be successful in that regard, the senior should solidify his stock as a mid-draft pick by teams looking for a versatile depth player to bolster their offensive front.

Amini Silatolu: OG, Midwestern State

Midwestern State's Amini Silatolu was the starting left tackle for the Mustangs in 2011, but it's widely believed that the 6'3", 312-pounder would be best utilized on the inside as a guard in the National Football League.

That said, some NFL scouts believe that Silatolu is one of the more physically-gifted prospects at his position in this year's draft class, with one talent evaluator telling Pro Football Weekly:

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Amini Silatolu is good. If you stick to just the tape, he's a first-round talent. I wouldn't want to take him there — there are issues to work through — but I would love to have him.

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The issues the scout alludes to may have to with durability and character concerns after Silatolu battled injuries and academic issues while at Midwestern State, as well the mauling run blocker's blitz pickups, but if Silatolu does well in workouts and interviews at the combine, it would not be surprising at all to hear his name called by the end of the third round in April.

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