The first two steps that a defensive tackle takes after the ball is snapped are the most important to how the play goes. These steps will determine whether he will be making his way through the line of scrimmage, whether a second offensive linemen will be required to help block him, or whether he'll be easy to block. Tackles need to have superior quickness so they can be the ones initiating the first contact with offensive linemen, and not the other way around.
They will often be taking on double-team blocks from offensive linemen -- either a combination of a center and guard, or a guard and offensive tackle. Their job is to fight off these blocks, and attract as much attention from offensive linemen as possible, so as to free up other players to roam around on the field. If they can maintain space between them and the blocker, then they'll be able to succeed in pushing the line into the backfield.
This is why a lot of the individual drills that defensive tackles do in practice will be focused on swatting away blockers' hands and keeping that physical separation. To do this successfully on a consistent basis, defensive tackles need to be very strong, especially in their arms and hands.
He will be engaged in head-on collisions with offensive linemen on every play as they try to push him back and he tries to push them forward. Sometimes, he may be hit from behind as a linebacker is rushing to the line of scrimmage to plug a hole.
As such, defensive tackles need to be durable, and be able to withstand all this physical contact. If they can't, they won't be able to contribute to their team by staying on the field play after play. To do this, they need to have mental toughness, the ability to focus and the ability to rally when things are getting tough.
He needs to have great anticipation and vision in order to time the snap of the ball just right, so that he can get off the ball with explosive power right away.
If he's able to do this, he will be putting the pressure on the offensive linemen to react to his movements. If it's the other way around, it becomes very difficult for a defensive tackle to get any kind of leverage -- and that leverage is so essential for defensive tackles. It may seem odd, but defensive tackles need to play offense, rather than playing defense, in a sense. A defensive tackle's primary responsibility is to attract attention from as many offensive linemen as possible.
The more offensive linemen he is occupying, the more free space there will be for other defenders to roam free and make plays. No linebacker will be able to make plays if he is gobbled up by an offensive lineman that was able to get to the second level because a defensive tackle was easily blocked by just one person.
The way that a defensive tackle attracts attention is by being disruptive, by bursting through the line of scrimmage, by being quick off the ball and hard to move. Ultimately, if a defensive tackle is living up to all his traits, he'll require the attention of two blockers on every play. At some point during the play, a defensive tackle will need to ultimately shed blocks to try to make a play. He won't often make a tackle or sack, but it'll be necessary for him to pursue ball carriers or force them to other areas of the field.
His primary responsibility will be to plug that gap any way he can. He cannot be moved away from that gap, otherwise, there will be open running room. Then, he must have the vision and awareness to see the play as it's developing to see whether he must shed the block and run to a different part of the field for support.
Unlike some other players at different positions, defensive tackles don't need to work on sprinting and getting fast on a straight-line basis. The second skill defensive tackles need to acquire is the ability to swat away blockers' hands and arms -- to keep that spacing between them that we were talking about before. A defensive tackle can be big, strong and quick, but if a blocker is able to get his hands on the tackle's body, then he'll be able to gain the leverage necessary to move him off his path.
This is what the defense ultimately strives to do — slow the offense and make them work laterally. Typically, the offense will displace the defensive lineman from their position to try to create these holes. This is more common in power schemes. In zone schemes, offensive players will try to get the defensive player running and use their speed and leverage to create holes rather than overpower the defender.
Here is a fantastic visual by former vIQtory podcast guest Dub Maddox. Man control is when teams have defensive linemen play through certain linemen to control more than one gap. Two-gapping requires a defensive lineman to control the opposing offensive lineman, rip off the block and make the tackle.
This defensive technique is common in Defenses and defenses that play an even front. Players are positioned in certain gaps and techniques to ensure they can maintain their gap integrity.
When a defensive lineman lines up directly in front of the defender, these are identified as even numbers. See the pictures below for a visual reference. Playing a defender head up makes it easier to punch them in both shoulders and play 2 different gaps.
Odd Number techniques identify outside alignments. This is about the defensive lineman lining up on the outside shoulder. The defensive tackle typically lines up opposite one of the offensive guards. Depending on a team's individual defensive scheme, a defensive tackle may be called upon to fill several different roles. These roles may include merely holding the point of attack by refusing to be moved, or penetrating a certain gap between offensive linemen to break up a play in the opponent's backfield.
If a defensive tackle reads a pass play, his primary responsibility is to pursue the quarterback , or simply knock the pass down at the line if it's within arm's reach. Other responsibilities of the defensive tackle may be to pursue the screen pass or drop into coverage in a zone blitz scheme.
In a traditional defensive set , there is no nose tackle. Instead there is a left and right defensive tackle. Nose tackle also nose guard is a defensive alignment position for a defensive lineman. In the defensive scheme the sole defensive tackle is referred to as the nose tackle. The nose tackle aligns across the line of scrimmage from the offense's center before the play begins in the "0-technique" position. In five-linemen situations, such as a goal-line formation, the nose guard is the innermost lineman, flanked on either side by a defensive tackle or defensive end.
The nose guard is also used in a 50 read defense. In this defense there is a nose guard, two defensive tackles, and two outside linebackers who can play on the line of scrimmage or off the line of scrimmage in a two point stance. The nose guard lines up head up on the center about six to eighteen inches off the ball.
In a reading 50 defense, the nose guard's key is to read the offensive center to the ball. In run away, the nose guard's job is to shed the blocker and pursue down the line of scrimmage, taking an angle of pursuit. The primary responsibility of the nose tackle in this scheme is to absorb multiple blockers so that other players in the defensive front can attack ball carriers and rush the quarterback. It is helpful to have an NFL standard to hold college prospects up against.
When looking at a player's quickness off the line and ability to explode into the offense, Geno Atkins of the Cincinnati Bengals is my standard bearer.
Being quick may seem like an obvious quality, but a player's ability to explode off the line does more than help him get to the quarterback quickest. A quick defensive tackle can eliminate double-teams with a dominant first step, and if you're the first guy off the line, you better your chance of getting into a gap before an offensive lineman can get his feet set and his hands on you. Judging quickness isn't done with a yard dash, but instead by watching a player's game film to see how successful he is at beating offensive linemen off the ball.
A slow first step could be due to a limited athlete, poor concentration or poor anticipation skills. All three are dangerous for a defensive tackle.
Backing up film study with raw numbers is helpful, and looking at a player's three-cone drill time from the NFL Scouting Combine does give you a look at their quickness and athleticism. The key is to verify those numbers on film—or vice versa—and not to rely on one workout to cement your feelings on a player. The best three-cone drill I've seen from a defensive tackle? Watt's 6. Bench-press reps are impressive and a fun drill to watch, but translating weight-room strength to the football field is the key.
If you can push around a barbell loaded up with pounds, can you push around offensive linemen? Strength is necessary for stopping the run, making tackles, clogging rushing lanes and defeating double-teams to get to the quarterback. This is especially important for nose tackles or any defensive tackle who will play inside of a 3-technique regularly.
On the inside, a player must be strong enough to hold guards and centers in line, preventing them from getting through the defensive line to the second level of the defense. If a guard or center breaks free of the defensive line and gets to the linebackers, the chances are the offense won the snap. Given the choice between a strong player and a fast player, I would go for speed, but there is a good argument to be made for strength over speed.
My theory is that strength is easier to develop than speed. Breaking free of a double-team requires quickness and strength, but a defender must also be able to use his hands to combat the blocks of offensive linemen. Hand use is a skill that few college defenders have conquered by the time they enter the NFL draft.
Those who do effectively use their hands to disengage from blockers find themselves ready for battle on the inside of the defensive line, where the tackle is batting away the blocks of guards and centers coming at his frame.
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