In the NFL, and sports in general, most of the attention is focused on the superstars of the sport; the players who make the biggest impact on a week-to-week basis on who wins and who loses. It is easy to understand why these players stick in the NFL as they are much more talented than their peers.

However, how do the rest of the players stick? What trait or resource do the players, who don’t have otherworldly talent ,provide that allows them to maintain a spot in one of the most difficult and secluded jobs on the market.

For a player like for Arizona State Sun Devil Marcus Hardison, the answer is versatility. His ability to play multiple positions at a high level will inflate his draft stock to NFL teams.

“Today (Senior Bowl practice), I played more of the 3-technique and nose (tackle),” Hardison said. “I played end primarily at ASU, so I’m very versatile and I get to show them what I’m all about.”

It’s not the fact that Hardison has played at multiple positions in his career; it’s the fact that he has been extremely productive at a myriad of positions. In his senior year, he recorded 53 tackles, 15 for loss and 10 sacks for the Sun Devils while going up against great offensive linemen such as Duke’s Laken Tomlinson, Utah’s Jeremiah Poutasi and Stanford’s Andrus Peat.

Despite his production, Hardison still has work to do if he wants to be a productive NFL player. If you ask Hardison what he needs to work on to succeed at the next level, he has a very specific answer.

“I have to say just run fitting, and just work on my technique,” Hardison said.

The fact that Hardison knows exactly what he needs to work on is an encouraging sign for his NFL potential. When a player is critical of their own game and know what to work on, they are more apt to improve on that weakness, which is a necessity to survive in the NFL.

At 6-foot-3 and 311 pounds, Hardison has the ideal size to play as a 1- or 3-technique defensive tackle or even a 5-technique defensive end in a 3-4.

Despite his ability to play multiple positions, Hardison knows what his best position in the NFL will be.

“I love end, but I think a 3-technique would fit me perfectly,” Hardison said.

To get an idea, why Hardison thinks his best fit is as a 3-technique, or under tackle, in the NFL, look no further than his preferred pass-rush move.

“I’d have to say just a quick swipe and rip is my move. Its just speed,” Hardison said.

For an interior defensive tackle, they have to beat opposing offensive linemen quickly, because if they don’t, they will get caught him with all the bodies in the interior of the play. Furthermore, Hardison’s quick swipe and rip move perfectly suits the idea of winning early in the play from the under tackle position.

Even though he would be best utilized as an under tackle in the NFL, Hardison’s experience at multiple positions make him a Swiss-army knife for whomever his defensive coordinator is at the next level. In the NFL, teams only get 46 active players on game day, which is why having a player like Hardison is so valuable.

He has the ability to replace two players by himself. Instead of putting one strict nose tackle and one strict under tackle on the game day roster, you can activate Hardison, who can play both, which opens up a roster spot to be used elsewhere.

In a league, where players with a single specialty are the weapon of choice, it’s always nice to have a Swiss-army knife in the holster to make things easier.