INDIANAPOLIS -- The Jets are spending many hours this offseason attempting to rebuild their outside linebacker/edge rusher position.

There's a decent chance they'll draft an edge rusher at No. 20 overall. They'll certainly evaluate a bunch of edge rushers at this week's NFL Scouting Combine.

So how does Jets head coach Todd Bowles, who runs the team's 3-4 defense, assess guys who might not have played 3-4 outside linebacker in college?

Maybe the prospect was a 4-3 outside linebacker. Or perhaps a defensive end in a 3-4 or 4-3 defense. Either way, that draft pick will have some schematic adjusting to do, once he arrives in Florham Park.

One example of a college defensive end who could transition to 3-4 outside linebacker with the Jets is Eastern Kentucky's Noah Spence, though there's a possibility he'll be drafted before No. 20.

Bowles said an edge rusher's potential scheme fit definitely matters, as the Jets' scouting department and coaching staff assess prospects.

"It is a lot of the evaluation," Bowles said. "You try to get as close as possible to your scheme. And then once you get them in, you kind of tweak some things [with your scheme] if you can -- to make sure they're a little more comfortable. So it's a little give and take."

Bowles said scheme fit "sometimes" is the deciding factor for whether or not to draft an edge rusher.

"Not all the time," Bowles said. "Talent normally overrides. But every now and then, it doesn't."

You can (sort of) bend your scheme to a very talented edge rusher, Bowles said.

"If they're talented enough," he said. "But ideally, you can only do so much. You want to be 3-4 most of the time. There are times when you can switch and do both [three-man fronts and four-man fronts], but ideally, you want to be 3-4."

The biggest adjustment for college edge rushers transitioning to the NFL?

"Probably the strength of just using their hands overall," Bowles said. "They can use more speed in college. You can use your speed in the pros, but at some point, you're going to have to use your strength as well."

Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DarrylSlater. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.