What the Heck is a 3-Tech? Decoding the Modern D-Line Positions in the NFL
Life used to be simpler. Gas and milk were cheap, there were only a handful of channels on television, and there were just two positions on a defensive line in football: defensive tackles and defensive ends. They lined up directly opposite the offensive lineman and the stronger man usually won the battle.
But then defensive coordinators who were without the strongest defensive linemen found a way to get to the quarterback and stop the run, even with weaker personnel. These coordinators found success by using less strong, but faster players, and lining them up over the shoulder of the offensive linemen rather than directly opposite.
After this approach caught on, there were no longer just tackles and ends. Now, there are 0, 1, and 3-tech defensive tackles, and 5 and 7-tech defensive ends. What does all this tech talk even mean?
The number of the tech corresponds to where the player lines up in relation to a certain position of the offensive line. 0-techs are your classic 3-4 nose tackles: they line up directly opposite the center. 1-techs line up over the shoulder of the center. 0 and 1-techs are the biggest men on the d-line and they are tasked with stopping running backs from progressing through the A gaps (space between the center and the guard) and soaking up multiple blocks to make things easier on the pass rushers.
3-tech defensive tackles are lined up on the outside shoulder of a guard, and being lined up in this way allows them to isolate blockers for a one-on-one battle. If they can win this battle, 3-techs have a good chance of disrupting the run or pressuring the quarterback.
5-tech defensive ends play a role more akin to 1-techs than 3-techs. They line up on the outside shoulder of the offensive tackle and are tasked primarily with stopping runs directed to the outside.
7-tech defensive ends are the ones who make the big bucks and have the biggest effect on the outcome of the game. They line up far outside of the offensive tackle to give themselves a clear lane to rush at the quarterback. If a 7-tech can bend the edge and not just run himself out of the pocket, he can be a nightmare for opposing offenses.
Simple enough, right? Don’t get too attached: football is always evolving, and I’m sure in a few years we will need a whole new arithmetic to understand the game.
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