The NFL draft is only six weeks away. It’s the time of year when we all discuss the top prospects, and how they best transition and project to the NFL. It’s particularly fascinating on the defensive side of the ball, where two seemingly competing philosophies, the 4-3 and the 3-4, often determine the value and utility of specific players.
There are many misconceptions about defensive fronts in the NFL, and those false impressions frequently arise from a very simple component. When most see 3 players with one hand on the ground, in three-point stances, and four players standing up, in two-point stances, they automatically assume it’s a 3-4 defense. It’s a logical conclusion, yet it’s not always the right one. In fact, more often than not in today’s NFL, it’s the wrong assumption. The number of players in two- and three-point stances is not the defining feature of defensive fronts.
What is the foundation of defensive fronts, you ask? Gap concepts. That’s the basis of all fronts...
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It was in Houston that the 3-4 began its evolution, incorporating more of the “1-gap” concepts that expanded the thought process of defense and are now prevalent today. The Oilers’ defensive line coach was Wade Phillips; it was his first NFL job...
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