INDIANAPOLIS — While there was a lot of action on the field Saturday from the offensive skill players at the NFL Scouting Combine, the defensive prospects were focused on the interview portion of the process, including several potential first-round picks.

Here are five takeaways from Saturday’s media session:

1. Washington OLB Shaq Thompson — It was the first question asked: What position are you? And unequivocally and unmistakably, Thompson answered: “Outside Linebacker.”

Thompson quickly denied the rumors that he would also be participating in running back drills and said his return to offense was “out of the question.” He plans to tell NFL teams that he wants to stay at linebacker instead of moving to safety or offense.

“It’s where I feel most comfortable,” Thompson said on why he’s so adamant on staying at linebacker. “I like to be up by the line of scrimmage. I feel like I’m physical enough. I’m not the biggest guy, but I have a lot of heart.”

With experience at both inside and outside linebacker, Thompson said he doesn’t have a preference and he has talked to both 3-4 (inside Will) and 4-3 teams (outside Sam). He said his best strength is making plays in space and being a team leader, having fun and beating up the ball carrier, which sounds very similar to the player he patterns his game after: Lavonte David.

“He’s a little bit taller than me,” Thompson said. “But we have the same attributes, the same speed. We can cover tight ends and running backs. I feel like I can do the same things.”

Although the size doesn’t stand out, Thompson said height is overrated at the position. And both he and UCLA’s Eric Kendricks will have to battle the “undersized” labels.

“Being too short is overrated,” Thompson said. “You have a lot of short linebackers out there. London Fletcher was 5-9 and he brought a lot of inspiration to us. I don’t feel height makes the player. Both Eric and I have a lot of heart and toughness. He’s a great linebacker, size doesn’t matter.”

2. Washington CB Marcus Peters — A prospect with considerable baggage, Peters did his best to quell the concerns about his character on Saturday, saying he made his mistakes and has to grow from them.

“It was just a miscommunication, mostly on my behalf,” Peters said regarding his dismissal from Washington. “I didn’t take the coaching transition too well.”

Peters was kicked off the team in November after several altercations between him and the new coaching staff, although he did call the reports of him choking a coach on the sidelines “false.” Since leaving the Huskies program, he has been enjoying family time at home, especially with newborn son Carson, who was born last fall. Peters has also received advice from an unlikely source: Seattle Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch.

“That’s someone that has mentored me throughout my whole life,” Peters said. “I watched him grow up playing Pop Warner football. I watched him in high school and I watched him through college. And I got a chance to play at Washington and he played for Seattle.”

Peters said his talks with Lynch are personal, but it was encouraging to hear that he did reconcile with the Washington coaches and will participate at the school’s Pro Day on April 2.

“I recently went up there a couple of weeks ago and had a real good conversation with Coach (Chris) Petersen. We sat down and talked about everything that happened,” Peters said. “I sincerely apologized to him again for what I put him and the team through this year. But it was a good conversation and he welcomed me to the Pro Day.”

Peters’ mea culpa has mended things at Washington, but is it enough to convince NFL teams he’s worth an early first round pick? Time will tell.

3. Nebraska DE Randy Gregory — After weigh-ins, Gregory created some buzz on Friday but for the wrong reason. He tipped the scale at only 235 pounds, a lighter weight than most expected for his 6-foot-5 frame. But according to Gregory, NFL teams aren’t worried about it and know he will get bigger, although it might be tough for him to keep on the added weight.

“I can probably say it is a little harder to maintain,” Gregory said. “But I have always been able to put on weight real quickly and lose it real quickly.”

Gregory plans to be heavier for Nebraska’s Pro Day and is confident that he can carry and play with added muscle mass, saying he has weighed anywhere from “230 to 258” pounds in the past. He revealed that while he has received positive feedback and he isn’t worried about it affecting his draft projection, some teams have been “stuck” on the lower weight. Gregory has the pass rush ability to be appealing to any scheme but also admitted the lighter weight could be a turnoff for some teams.

“I’ve had a mixture of both,” Gregory said when asked about the teams interested in him and the schemes they run. “But with the weight right now, I am sure a lot of 3-4 teams will look at me instead of the 4-3 teams.”

While his size isn’t imposing, Gregory does play stronger than he looks, which can be attributed to the emphasis on fundamentals he learned at Nebraska. And he thinks players at the next level can take that for granted.

“Even at 235 pounds, I still think I set the edge pretty well because of my technique,” Gregory said. “I use my strength well for what I weigh. I just did 24 on the bench so I’ll only get stronger.”

4. Oregon CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu — With 40 straight starts under his belt, few thought Ekpre Olomu would face durability questions during the draft process, but after a knee injury during December practice, everything changed for the former Ducks defensive back. Nonetheless, Ekpre-Olomu is staying positive after surgery eight weeks ago.

“I’m not really too worried how it will affect my draft stock,” Ekpre-Olomu said. “I’m more worried about once I get there, how I’m going to move on from there, and how I’m going to perform once I get onto the team.”

Ekpre-Olomu said he feels great and the doctors tell him the knee is healing ahead of schedule. Although the reality is, he likely won’t be ready for the start of the 2015 NFL season, which will put him at a disadvantage, missing rookie minicamps, training camp and the preseason. So how does he plan to compensate while on the sideline?

“I’m going to have to be determined to learn the playbook and make sure all those mental reps those guys are getting on the field,” he said. “I have to make sure I’m getting a double amount because I’m not going to actually be on the field. You just have to work as hard as you can every day.”

Ekpre-Olomu cited his instincts and quickness as his best strengths, which fits what the tape says. The bigger question might be, is he ideally suited to stay outside or might he be better inside as a nickel cornerback in the NFL?

“I’m a versatile player,” Ekpre-Olomu said. “I was able to play nickel throughout my career at Oregon and it is going to help me in the long run because now the league runs through the slot receiver. If you can have a guy that can cover the slot and shut him down, it helps the team. And that’s all you’re looking forward to, trying to win games for the team.”

5. Virginia DE/OLB Eli Harold — One of the most fascinating aspects of the NFL Draft process is learning about a player’s journey to this point. And Harold is no exception. The former Virginia player lost his mother to cancer while he was in high school, something that forced him to grow up at an early age.

“Growing up without a father and having a mother really doing everything for you, it’s pretty tough when you lose her,” Harold said. “She was my rock. She would be proud of me right now.”

Harold’s mother was diagnosed with yellow jaundice when he was just 14 years old and that would later turn into pancreatic cancer. She died a year later and Harold’s older brother acted as a father figure, giving him a support system. Now, Harold just wants to leave a lasting legacy for his mom.

“The man upstairs blessed me, I’m going to do it for my mom,” Harold said. “I just want to show the world that I can do more than just having my hand down. So tomorrow is the day. It’s the proving ground and I’m psyched for it. That’s what I worked all my life for.”

Harold thought he was ready for the NFL game and left Virginia early to follow his dreams. He launches himself off the line of scrimmage and plays with a relentless motor that pops on film. But even Harold admits he needs to get bigger. Currently at 247 pounds, he ideally wants to get to 255 for the next level.

“I feel like being in the league, you have to be a little bit bigger than what I am now,” Harold said. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes. My pro day is March 2 and I’m going to go back and try to bulk up a little bit and show the scouts I can play and not lose a step with the weight on.”

Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) is a senior analyst for NFLDraftScout.com, owned and distributed by The Sports Xchange in cooperation with CBSSports.com.