A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the
offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the
tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the largest and strongest of the defensive players. 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
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Am ...
, or simply knock the pass down at the line if it is 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
4–3 defense, there is no nose tackle. Instead there is a left and right defensive tackle. Some teams, especially in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
(NFL), have a nose tackle in this scheme, but most of them do not.
Nose tackle
Nose tackle (also nose guard or middle guard) is a defensive alignment position for a
defensive lineman
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numb ...
. In the 3–4 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 this position, frequently taking on the center and at least one if not both of the guards, the nose tackle is considered to be the most physically demanding position in
. 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
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is p ...
. According to
Pat Kirwan, a traditional
3–4 defense demands "a massive man who can clog up the middle," while a
4–3 defense is looking for "a nose tackle who relies on quickness to penetrate and move along the front."
Typical 3–4 nose tackles are "big wide bodies who can hold the point of attack and force double teams by the
guard
Guard or guards may refer to:
Professional occupations
* Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault
* Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street
* Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning
* Prison gu ...
and
center."
They are usually the heaviest players on the roster, with weights ranging from . Also, height is critical, as they are supposed to get "under" the offensive line, which means ideal 3–4 nose tackles are no taller than .
Recent examples of such nose tackles include
Gilbert Brown
Gilbert Jesse Brown (born February 22, 1971) is a former American football player. A nose tackle who played for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (1993–99, 2001–03), Brown played 125 Packers games (103 starts) recordin ...
,
Casey Hampton
Casey Hampton Jr. (born September 3, 1977) is a former American football nose tackle who played twelve seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Texas, and recei ...
,
Jamal Williams
Jamal Williams (born April 28, 1976) is an American former professional football player who was a nose tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 1998 S ...
,
Vince Wilfork, and
Damon Harrison. Rather uncommon are taller nose tackles, such as
Bobby Brown III who is and
Ted Washington,
Ma'ake Kemoeatu, who are tall and each have won Super Bowl rings.
In some
4–3 defenses, the nose tackle is one of two defensive tackles. Some teams, especially in the
NFL, have a nose tackle in the 4–3 defense, which lines up against the opposing center and very likely the weak-side or pulling guard. In a 4–3 defense, nose tackles are rather quick and supposed to "shoot the 'A gap' and beat the center and very likely the weak-side or pulling guard into the backfield."
Height is not as important, and their weight is closer to .
The terms "nose guard" or "middle guard" were more commonly used with the five-man defensive line of the older
5–2 defense. Effective against most plays of the day, but with a weakness to the inside short pass, the 5–2 was phased out of the pro game in the late 1950s. In the
4–3 defense, the upright
middle linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...
replaced the middle guard. 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.
3-technique tackle
A 3-technique tackle (also 3-tech) or undertackle is often featured in a formation with four defensive linemen (such as the traditional 4–3 or the 4–2–5
Nickel defense), but can sometimes fill in as the nose tackle in a 3–4 defense. Compared to the 0 or 1-tech who is more prototypical of the nose tackle, the 3-tech is often a smaller, more agile defensive lineman (but still larger than the
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is p ...
s) who specializes in penetrating through the line with his quickness as his bigger counterpart occupies blockers, aiming to sack the quarterback or tackle the rusher (often the running back) for a loss of yards. The 3-tech often lines up against the "weak side" of the offensive line, and therefore faces fewer double-teams as a result. Notable examples of prototypical 3-tech tackles in the NFL include
Geno Atkins,
Sharrif Floyd,
Tyrone Crawford
Tyrone Crawford (born November 22, 1989) is a Canadian former professional defensive end in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He was selected in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He played colleg ...
,
Kyle Williams,
Ndamukong Suh,
Aaron Donald, and
Ed Oliver. Donald and Oliver, in particular, have pushed the limits on how small the 3-tech can be, both weighing just 285 lbs. Their smaller statures have drawn criticism, but Donald and Oliver often make up for this using their athleticism. Donald has made eight
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
s and was thrice named the
AP Defensive Player of the Year.
References
{{American football positions
American football positions