NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Karl Klug has proved he can play in the NFL.

He’s not an every-down guy, but the Titans have underutilized him at times since drafting him out of Iowa in the fifth round in 2011.

He's played in 48 games, starting five and he’s got 12.5 sacks in limited snaps. He’s got a knack for knifing through the line and causing problems.

Now he's trying to prove he can play in the NFL in a 3-4 front.

He’s not necessarily a great fit. At 6-foot-3 and 278 pounds, he is the Titans lightest defensive end along with Lavar Edwards.

As he looks to dive into his fourth season, he knows he's not a lock for Ray Horton's new defense.

How's he been doing?

“I don’t know, we’ll find out in a couple weeks how I did,” he said. “Really it’s not that different from what we did before, and I feel like I’ve been able to adjust to it fairly decent.”

The biggest chance to Klug’s approach is a fairly minor one, though it entails changing a long-standing technique that had become habit.

“The only difference for me is the first step,” he said. “I had to change my stance a little bit, make it less staggered a little bit. Before it was staggered, my inside foot was back farther in the 4-3. Now, we have to step with either foot depending on where the ball is going. Last year it was always my back foot going first, that was my first step.”

I’ve had Klug on the roster from the start. He may not be a great scheme fit. But he is one of the team’s best 53 players. He has pass-rushing skills, which the Titans hardly have in abundance.

Horton is likely to want to keep Klug and try to find ways to use him.