Laws' stock soaring in NFL draft

Although Notre Dame suffered through a 3-9 embarrassment of a season in 2007, Fighting Irish defensive line-man Trevor Laws made the most of a bad situation.

Laws was forced to switch from playing tackle in a four-man front to playing end in a three-man front when the Irish changed defensive schemes, yet he still piled up 112 tackles, an outstanding total for any lineman in a 3-4 scheme.

He'll likely move back to tackle in a 4-3 alignment in the NFL, where he is best-suited to play the 3-technique, lining up outside the guard, rather than at nose tackle, where he would be head-up on the center.

The 6-foot-1, 308-pound Laws might be a consideration for the Bears in the second round if they decide to add depth in an already strong area. He says he'll play anywhere on the line in any formation.

"I feel like I can hold my own inside (in a 4-3)," Laws said. "And I think I can play really anywhere on the 3-4 front. Just bulk me up, slim me down, teach me techniques."

As impressive as Laws was on a bad team last season, his stock has continued to rise during an impressive post-season, which started with standout practices at the Senior Bowl, an exceptional game performance and excellent workouts at the NFL scouting combine.

Playing tackle in a 4-3 scheme at the Senior Bowl, Laws had 6 tackles, 1 sack, a recovered fumble and was named the game's most outstanding lineman.

At the combine, he was second among defensive linemen with 35 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. He also ran a 5.08 40-yard dash, more than acceptable for a player of his dimensions.

While Laws doesn't have much talent as a pass rusher, he is strong at the point of attack, plays with a high-revving motor, displays good pursuit and wins most battles at the line of scrimmage with the instincts and hand-to-hand combat skills of a three-time high school All-American wrestler who compiled a career record of 142-5.

A year ago Laws contemplated leaving Notre Dame with a season of eligibility remaining. But by staying he elevated his draft status from afterthought to a virtual first-day lock (first two rounds).

Most of what talent Notre Dame had in 2006 left after that season, including defensive linemen Victor Abiamiri, who went to the Eagles in Round 2, and Derek Landri, who went to the Jaguars in the fifth round. That left Laws to hold down the fort.

"It was a lot of effort, a lot of work," Laws said. "It's not easy. I had a lot of battles and had to make a lot of plays. We had a young team -- inexperience across the board."

Fortunately for the Irish, they had Laws.

NFL draft preview: Defensive linemen

The top defensive linemen

Name, school Size 40 time

DE Chris Long, Virginia 6-3, 272 4.75

LeGere's skinny: Physically and mentally tough, this high-intensity, high-character overachiever isn't an elite pass-rusher and might not get much better.

DE Vernon Gholston, Ohio State* 6-3, 266 4.67

Looks like a bodybuilder, can explode off the edge and has a huge upside even though he's raw, inconsistent and takes plays off.

DT Glenn Dorsey, LSU 6-1½, 313 5.02

If not for leg injuries, he would be the No. 1 pick with his many Tommie Harris-like qualities -- strong, tough, disruptive.

DT Sedrick Ellis, USC 6-0½, 309 4.98

Lacks height but is extremely strong and stout at the point of attack; has the quickness to disrupt; flashes pass-rush ability.

DE Phillip Merling, Clemson * 6-4¼, 277 4.81

Big and strong enough to play tough vs. the run, but isn't a great pass rusher despite his nonstop work habits and good instincts.

DE Derrick Harvey, Florida* 6-4½, 271 4.71

Intense pass rusher with quick first step and a burst off the edge but not very stout vs. the run, although he shows good pursuit.

DE Calais Campbell, Miami* 6-7¾, 290 5.04

He can dominate with his size and athleticism, but he needs to be stronger and tougher to reach potential in 3-4 scheme.

DT Kentwan Balmer, North Carolina 6-4½, 308 5.21

Strong enough to handle 2-gap assignments, he could be DE in 3-4 but needs better technique since he's not a pass-rush threat.

DE Lawrence Jackson, USC 6-4¼, 271 4.76

Four-year starter has flashed star talent and pash-rush skills but has room to grow and must get stronger and more physical.

DE Quentin Groves, Auburn 6-3, 259 4.57

Boom-or-bust type, explosive rusher with speed and quickness. Lacks toughness, intensity and work ethic. Could be OLB.

*Junior in college