Green Bay Packers: Ranking the NFC North defensive lines
So, Green Bay Packers fans, what does it take to field a dominant defensive line?
Well, it depends what your philosophy is in neutralizing the guys on the other side of the ball.
There is more than one way to skin a cat, as the old saying goes, and in the NFL the variations are essentially two: the 4-3 and the 3-4.
As most experienced football viewers probably already know by now, a 4-3 alignment consists of two defensive tackles in the middle of the line flanked by two long, athletic defensive ends that may run a few stunts during the course of any given game, but rarely, if ever, drop back into coverage.
In a 3-4 setup, the defensive line is comprised of a wide-bodied nose tackle in the middle of the line that is responsible for holding up two gaps on either side of him to free up penetrating linebackers. On the opposite sides of that same nose tackle are the defensive ends that are slightly bigger than their 4-3 counterparts and are more focused on occupying blockers and stopping the run rather than applying pressure on the quarterback. That last part is left to outside linebackers that perform the hybrid role of rushing the quarterback, setting the edge versus the run and dropping back into pass coverage.
In the NFC North, the Lions and Vikings employ the more traditional 4-3 style, while the Bears and Packers use an odd-man front. A roster’s personnel often dictates which scheme is best suited for a particular team.
The one wildcard that the 3-4 presents is the ability to deceptively show blitz with your two outside linebackers to only then drop them back into an eight-man coverage. But the reality is that every NFL defense is spending more time in its sub-packages, which give the offense a different look than the ones presented by 3-4 or 4-3 base packages.
With that in mind, the four division teams will be evaluated on the basis of past results, upside, coaching, health and overall depth.
There’s no way to make a perfect comparison between teams that line up differently, but those same defenses are all after the same results.
Which organization rosters the best collection of talent on the defensive line that can stop the run and disrupt the passing game?
Lean back in your favorite lounge chair and enjoy the following division rankings, as every defensive line in the NFC North will be thoroughly examined.
Next: Minnesota Vikings