Defensive Linemen Positions Explained
The defensive line has 2 jobs: to stop the run on rushing plays and pressure the passer on passing plays. They’re the first wave of players blocked after the snap, and it’s their job to hold the line of scrimmage in place so the offense can’t move forward. Linemen play in the “trenches.” The bruising play between offensive and defensive linemen is sometimes called the “Battle of the Trenches.” An often-used football cliche is that whichever team wins the “Battle of the Trenches” will win the football game. This article describes the roles of the different positions on the defensive line.
Key Defensive Linemen Positions
The defensive line positions are some of the most demanding in football. Linemen often must engage with blockers while trying to tackle running backs and pressure the quarterback on passing plays. A critical component of a good football team is its defensive line play. Below are descriptions of each position in the defensive line.
Defensive End: On rushing plays, the job of the defensive end is to hold the edge or outside of the field, making sure runners are forced inside if they can’t make the tackle. A runner that breaks into the open field from the outside can gain many yards. On pass plays, defensive ends must pressure the quarterback. There are 2 types of defensive ends: weak side and strong side. The weak side defensive end could be your strongest rusher. They’re lined up on the quarterback’s blind side opposite. That means if the end breaks through the line of scrimmage, the quarterback will have its back to them, making it hard to avoid getting sacked. A strong side defensive end has a similar role. They’re often bigger than a weak side defensive end and sometimes better at stopping the run than rushing the quarterback. Often, teams will interchange their ends based on the matchups and the offensive play call probability. For instance, if a team is in a passing situation, they might have 2 strong pass rushers playing defensive end for that play. A defensive end should be big, strong, and athletic. They’re typically taller than defensive tackles. Some defensive ends will stand up in a crouched position or a two-point stance and others will stand in a three-point stance, which is when they have 1 hand on the ground. A hybrid defensive end is a player that can drop back and cover receivers but also rush the quarterback. Hybrids are a combination of a linebacker and a defensive end. Generally, defensive ends don’t have pass coverage responsibilities.
Defensive Tackles: There are 2 defensive tackles in a four-player defensive front. The tackles are the interior or inside part of the line. A tackle’s job is to occupy the offensive line on running plays so that the players behind them, like the linebackers and safeties, can get to the line of scrimmage and stop runners. A great play for a tackle is when it sheds a blocker and tackles a running back in the backfield or at the line of scrimmage. Defensive tackles rush the quarterback on passing plays, though they likely won’t get as many sacks as a defensive end because they sometimes have 2 blockers on them, which makes it harder to break through. The offensive line creates a pocket for its quarterback on pass plays that protects them. Defensive tackles try to collapse the pocket, which can create lanes for the defensive ends or linebackers to make sacks. Defensive tackles are often the biggest players on defense with their average weight in the (National Football League) NFL being around 308 pounds.
Nose Tackle: A nose tackle lines up directly across from the center, where they must occupy 2 offensive linemen. A nose tackle typically makes fewer tackles and sacks than a defensive tackle. Their job is to plug the holes so that the linebackers can come in and stop the running plays and pressure the quarterback on passing plays. Nose tackles put both hands on the ground in a 4-point stance when lining up. Nose tackles must play close to the ground to get the proper leverage against centers and guards, which are the players that typically block them. One of the hardest jobs in football is to play nose tackle because it’s so physical. Nose tackles are extremely important if you have a 3-player defensive line, but they rarely get the credit that other defensive linemen get because their job is to create space for other players to make big plays. It’s a job that comes with little recognition.
How Linemen Fit Into 3-4 vs. 4-3 Defenses
A 3-4 defense is typically anchored by the nose tackle, who's the middle player on a line that has 3 players on it. In this scheme, there are usually 4 linebackers and 2 defensive ends. Because there aren’t interior tackles, the 2 inside linebackers in a 3-4 scheme are often hybrid defensive linemen\linebackers. Typically, the linebackers in this defense create pressure at the line of scrimmage. In a 4-3, there are 3 linebackers. In this type of defense, the defensive line is designed to be the focal point. Often, teams will play both defenses or variations of both defenses, depending on the game situation. The 4-3 is generally considered to be better against the run because of the extra lineman up front while the 3-4 helps teams defend passes easier because you have an additional linebacker who can cover receivers. Teams often pick their main type of defense based on their personnel. If they have a deep pool of linemen, they might choose to play a 4-3. If they have a really good nose tackle and some quality linebackers, they might choose to play a 3-4.
Defensive linemen must be big, strong, quick and relentless to deal with the constant pounding they’ll take. The defensive line position in football is critical to team success. There’s an old saying that “defense wins championships” and the best defenses are anchored up front by a great defensive line.