During my time in the league as a scout, I had a defensive coordinator once tell me that the key to building a dominant defense is being strong up the middle. He stressed to me that the common denominator between top defenses at the highest level is the presence of a game-changer at one of the defensive tackle positions.
A dominant interior defender commands double teams on every play, and his ability to demand that kind of attention frees his teammates to make plays against single blocks on the perimeter. This is not only essential to stopping the run, but it also benefits defenses built to generate pressure on the passer. A skillful interior rusher with exceptional quickness can wreak havoc on quarterbacks by routinely blasting through the "A" gap (gap between the center and guard) on pressures. This prevents quarterbacks from stepping into their throws, and often flushes them into the arms of hard-charging rushers off the edge.
In surveying the college landscape for potential impact players at the position, it looks like the 2010 draft class is loaded.
Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh has been one of the most dominant players in college football this season. He has tallied nine tackles for loss and racked up three sacks while single-handedly transforming the Huskers' defense into a dominant unit. Though Suh has been lauded for his rush skills, his ability to snuff out the run has earned him rave reviews in scouting circles and is one of the reasons several teams have him rated as the top defensive player available in the draft.
Alabama's Terrence Cody is another interior defender with the exceptional skills to take over a game at the point of attack. The hulking playmaker is immovable off the ball, and completely destroys blocking schemes with his ability to routinely defeat the double team. Though he lacks the skills to be an elite interior pass rusher, his dominance against the run is so spectacular that scouts have pegged Cody as a mid-level first-rounder.
While Suh and Cody are undoubtedly the headliners of the class, Syracuse's Arthur Jones could join the duo as one of the top senior defensive tackles. Although Jones shows unrefined skills as a pass rusher, his high motor and relentless effort will lead to a number of negative plays on the next level.
In addition to the aforementioned senior interior defenders poised to make immediate contributions, there is a growing buzz regarding the possible early entries of Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy, Florida's Carlos Dunlap and North Carolina's Marvin Austin. While scouts have yet to fully evaluate them, there is a sense that these young stars could also make an instant impact in the league.
With a talented group of interior defenders set to arrive in 2010, several NFL defensive coordinators will finally have an essential piece in place to build a dominant defense.
