Dominate the Line of Scrimmage! Defensive Line Development Strategies & Daily Drills

with Ken Goodwin, Bryant University Defensive Line Coach;
Part of a defensive coaching staff that led the nation in total defense and ranked fourth in scoring defense in 2021;
Stonehill College Defensive Coordinator 2016 to 2019;
helped turn the Skyhawks into one of the top defensive teams in the Northeast-10 Conference;
Stonehill College Assistant Coach from 2013 to 2016;
played collegiately for Springfield College (linebacker);
2x All-Empire 8 first team selection;

Coaching defensive linemen starts with knowing what you are looking for in a dominant defender. Bryant University’s Ken Goodwin provides an essential, must-watch instructional video that provides a blueprint plan, while detailing his five tenets of a sound defensive lineman in a relentless, ‘unit-first’ mentality. 

Highlighting the need to be dominant on every snap, Coach Goodwin also includes a goldmine of D-Line information such as the importance of defenders in the trenches to trust their teammates.  

Additionally, the video outlines six essential skills needed to become grounded in great defensive line play – which include the importance of toughness, the ability to ‘Get-off’ on the snap and the need for relentless pursuit on every play. Coach Goodwin also shares his ‘Defensive Linemen Outline,’ that emphasizes why D-Linemen need to play with great effort and aggression snap after snap. 

Developing a Defensive Line ‘Run-and-Pass Game Philosophy’

A simple template for addressing two critically important areas of defense are detailed in Coach Goodwin’s next segment. All of the techniques shown in this section are highlighted here with a mantra of possessing a ‘Family Within a Family’ mentality, which reinforces the belief that good D-Line groups need to possess a sense of brotherhood on their units if they’re to succeed in their live-game missions. 

Coach Goodwin shares his Key Defensive Tenets, which emphasizes line-of-scrimmage rules for controlling gaps, knowing alignments and using proper hand placement.  

Next up, Goodwin shines the spotlight on his unique numbering system which utilizes hand placement signals that allows defensive linemen to quickly and easily identify how to attack the offensive lineman. 

Another great defensive coaching gem is on detailed alignment keys, and how to successfully use pressure and visual keys.  

Within the pass game, Goodwin explains pass rush philosophy and lanes with a 4-man rush and a 5-man rush, which establishes a great pass-rush plan without overloading linemen with information. 

Scouting Tips and Using DL Drills To Foster Competition

Coach Goodwin shows his system for defensive linemen to scout an opposing offensive line’s tendencies – both for game plan purposes and to show which techniques need to be used to defeat each.

A highly informative section on using different DL stances, such as ‘Strike & Attack,’ ‘Read & React’ and ‘Money Down’ are covered as well as how you can explore using different stances and attacks to create a multiple pass-rush plan. 

Coach Goodwin usesfilm clips to reinforce coaching points and details twelve drills to create a competitive nature to your play. As an example, the ‘Ball Disruption Drill’ and ‘Recovery Drill’ are shown as fun, yet intense practice drills.  

Other terrific defensive line drills include a progression of ‘Stance-and-Start Drills’ followed by the ‘Hands-and-Hips Drill.’ Plus, the ‘Lock-and-Tear Drill’ and the signature ‘Slingshot Drill’ rounds out the fundamental segment. A compilation of fun competitive drills rounds out the segment.  Coach Goodwin finishes with a great series of game and practice clips that illustrates real-time defensive line skills being used for run and pass destruction purposes. 

Defensive line coaches looking for a comprehensive approach to building the optimal defensive line group can rejoice – they have found the ‘must-have’ video with Coach Goodwin’s! With a list of essentials and indicators, the run and pass game must-haves, and the development of a competitive mindset, this video will round out your repertoire of defensive linemen play.  

Customer Review: 5 out of 5 Stars.‘Coach Goodwin covers all the bases when it comes to building a prototype defensive-line group … all coaches will pick up some valuable insights and knowledge from this video. Keeping it simple is a theme throughout the video, yet these are DL skills that can be used at the elite level. Great video!’

64 minutes. 2023.