DEFENSE

ENDS. Leroy Selmon, Oklahoma, 6 ft. 3 in., 256 lbs.; and Troy Archer, Col orado, 6 ft. 3 in., 219 lbs. Selmon, one of the most tantalizing prospects in the draft, is from a family of Oklahoma line men (Brother Lucious played guard two years ago, and Brother Dewey plays it now). Selmon's ability to shed blockers and diagnose plays is not his only at traction. "You can say all the clever things you want," says one scout, "but with Leroy it boils down to one thing:

he'll knock your block off." Only slightly less menacing is Archer, a pass rusher who "mauls" offensive linemen.

TACKLES. Steve Niehaus, Notre Dame, 6 ft. 5 in., 260 lbs.; and Ken Novak, Purdue, 6 ft. 7 in., 274 lbs. Niehaus is "the bread-and-butter guy a scout can make a living on." His specialty: running down backs from behind. He made 113 unassisted tackles this fall. Novak is not quite so sure a choice. The scouts do not consider his senior season good enough, but still rate him above the rest of the field because of his size.

LINEBACKERS. Kevin McLain, Colo rado State, 6 ft. 2 in., 238 lbs.; Larry Gordon, Arizona State, 6 ft. 4 in., 222 lbs.; and Greg Buttle, Penn State, 6 ft. 2% in., 232 lbs. McLain is so aggressive the scouts joke that he may have to take tranquilizers to make it in the pros. In a game against New Mexico this year, McLain made eleven unassisted tackles -- three for losses -- and intercepted two passes, running one back 58 yds. for a touchdown. Gordon is "a head hunter"; he averaged 13 tackles a game this year.

For Buttle, the word is "smart." He is particularly skilled at covering running backs who slip downfield on pass pat terns. Two other linebacking prospects are Clarence Sanders, Cincinnati, 6 ft. 4 in., 225 lbs.; and Ron McCartney, Tennessee, 6 ft. 3 in., 225 lbs.

CORNERBACKS. James Hunter, Grambling, 6 ft. 3 in., 194 lbs.; and Mike Haynes, Arizona State, 6 ft. 3 in., 195 lbs. With the speed of summer lightning, Hunter is the dream cornerback. A favorite tactic is to zip up to the line and stun runners trying to sweep around the end. When he intercepts a pass, Hunter takes off like a running back. Haynes is another return threat who led the country in interceptions (eleven) when he was a junior. The scouts say that Pat Thomas, Texas A. & M., 5 ft. 10 in., 180 lbs., is also a cornerback who will not last long in the draft.

SAFETIES. Tim Fox, Ohio State, 6 ft., 186 lbs.; and Kurt Knoff, Kansas, 6 ft. 3 in., 200 lbs. With "exceptional range, good hands, and great ball sense," Fox is the cornerstone of a secondary that helped the Ohio State defense limit opponents to 7.2 points per game. Knoff, despite a knee injury, is valuable to the pros because "he likes to hit."

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