Defensive Tackle

A defensive tackle (abbreviated "DT") is typically the largest and strongest of the defensive players. 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 4-3 defensive set, there is no nose tackle. Instead there is a left and right defensive tackle. Some teams especially in the NFL do have a nose tackle in this scheme, but most of them do not. Some teams especially in the NFL do have a nose tackle in the 4-3 defensive set, which lines up against the opposing center. The nose tackle in a 4-3 defensive scheme can either be the left or right defensive tackle depending where they line up.