I admit I did not know very much about the 3-4 defense until last season when the Chiefs began to make their transition. As Chiefs 
fans around the net began discussing the 3-4, the thing I heard over and over was that the key to running the 3-4 successfully was to have a dominant big man playing nose tackle.
We all know that Ron Edwards was plugged in to the position during the transition and while he played hard he was not the long-term solution. If the Chiefs want to play better defense they must get a natural nose tackle.
Is #5 to high to draft a nose tackle? Before we can determine that, we first need to understand what a nose tackle does and why the position is so important.
The nose tackle is often referred to as the most physically demanding position in football. He needs to control the “A Gaps” or the area between the center and the two guards. Thus he is responsible for taking on double and sometimes triple teams on a regular basis.
For instance, on a running play between the tackles, the nose tackle must read the play and decide which direction the runner is going before the runner hits either of the “A Gaps” the nose is responsible for clogging. The NT must then slide in to the gap as soon as possible while single handily trying to prevent the center and the guard from getting to the 2nd level to pick up the rushing linebackers.
This is part of the advantage of the 3-4 defense. The linebackers are already back in a set position, enabling them to read the play and then rush to fill the gaps. However, if the nose tackle fails and lets offensive lineman into the second level, they can pick up the linebackers before they can get to their gaps. If this happens, the runner will usually only need to fake out the safety to break off a huge run.
If you saw the Cleveland game last season then you saw his happen on more than one occasion. Jerome Harrison ran right behind either the left or right guard and consistently got in to the 2nd level where the Chiefs linebackers were getting blocked. Mike Brown came rushing up to help, often taking terrible angles and missed the tackle. Once that happened, there was no one between Harrison and the endzone.
And well, you saw the results.
It all starts up front. Failure up front can cause a chain reaction all the way through the rest of the defense.
Not many people would draft a defensive tackle in the top 5. The top 5 in the draft is usually reserved for impact players like QB’s. There is also a high premium on left tackles as they protect the QB’s blind side.
However, as we have illustrated, the nose tackle is the key to the entire 3-4 defense. We have seen just about every potential free agent nose tackle be resigned or franchised this offseason. Why?
Because these teams know how valuable their nose tackle is to their defensive success.
If the NT is so valuable then why isn’t it acceptable to take one in the top 5 of the draft?
I am asking this because right now, DT Dan Williams out of Tennessee is shooting up draft boards.
From Daniel Jeremiah of Move the Sticks via Twitter:
I have been a big Dan Williams supporter and every team I talk to has him very high on their board. He’s going to go high.
Williams is ranked #17 on Mel Kiper’s latest Big Board and Mcshay’s latest mock draft has him going 18th to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
If Scott Pioli showed us anything in last years draft it is that he is not afraid to reach for a player he feels can help the team. The question is, how high is Williams going to climb between now and April 22nd?
There are a number of teams that could be in the market for a nose tackle including the Steelers, Dolphins, Cardinals, Seahwaks, Bills and Chargers.
If the Chiefs really want Williams they could always try to trade back to avoid reaching for him. It would be a gamble though, as there would be no guarantee that he would still be on the board when the Chiefs chose.
What do you think, Addicts? Is #5 to high to take a nose tackle? Should the Chiefs try to acquire Dan Williams sometime in the first round or should they take their chances on a different defensive tackle sometime in the 2nd or 3rd rounds?
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Yeah, #5 seems too high for an NT, especially with two already off the board (Suh, McCoy). If we are able to trade down with Buffalo, #9 is still too high for the other NT prospects.
What’s the difference between the second-tier of prospects (Price/Cody) that might be available in the 2nd round and the other first-round NTs? Not to mention Cam Thomas or Terrell Troup.
My vote for #5 is a dynamic athlete with freak physical tools like Eric Berry or Dez Bryant. That’s what these top picks are for… hopefully we won’t be in the top 10 next year, and we can draft with need over best-available in the first round.
Neither Suh or McCoy are NTs, they are considered classic 4-3 DTs. If Williams is dominant, and clearly better than some of the talent available later in the draft, why not trade down and hope to grab him? If there’s not a disparate difference between him and someone we could get in the 2nd, then you have to take the best non-QB player available.
Did everyone watch the same games I did last year? The Chiefs have to go OL with the first pick, O’Kung-Davis best available.Do we want Cassel (aka 60 million dollar man) to be another Carr? Berry? we need a saftey/DB but good ones there in later rounds. A WR that can catch would be nice..
I’ve said this before but, if you want a NT in this draft you will have to pay a premium. Is it too high? Higher than I’d like but, a need is a need.
The 2 things the Chiefs HAVE to come out of the draft with are a NT and an OL. They have other needs but these are the essentials. The longer you put off getting these essentials the more chance of having to trade picks to move up for guys. And I don’t like doing that because we need all the picks we have.
If we can trade down it lessens the reach but in order to get Williams we have to stay ahead of Denver and Miami.
For me, the biggest quandary arises if I’m offered Buffalo’s 1st and 2nd for our 1st if Eric Berry is sitting there. I’m not sure I know what I’d do.
Ehud:
I have been stressing over that too. If Berry is available and a team wants to trade that is going to be a tough call for the Chiefs brass.
The Chiefs need a lot of players but they also need a big play maker. Tough call.
I can definitely appreciate the apprehension, but every player in this draft is a risk, regardless of position. You just don’t know. That being said, the quality and depth of this draft is be heralded…which also sets it up for failure, I know. However, if the Chiefs get the #9 and Buffalo’s 2nd, there is no doubt they should pull the trigger. There would be a ton of talented players to choose from at #9 (Williams should be one of them), as well as the potential to trade down again if someone like Miami/Denver is in love with him. Imagine walking into the 2nd with 4 picks (one from Miami/Denver) in the 2nd, and 2 in the 3rd. Just think about that and how many impact players you could rebuild this team with based on the depth of the draft. Never mind the talent grabbed with the Miami/Denver pick. I am all about quality over quantity, but if both are available, I don’t think the Chiefs could keep themselves from grabbing so many valuable picks versus the perceived ability of a single player.
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The chances of St. Louis taking Sam Bradford are looking up. If Bradford has a good pro day, I don’t see how they can pass on yet another franchise QB. If they take Bradford, I think the next three picks are Suh, McCoy, and Okung. Washington is just as desperate on O-line as we are, and Campbell did show some flashes of talent last year.
That leaves us with #5 and Berry available. We would be the team to trade with for Claussen, because Seattle should take him if he’s available. I think we’ve gotta trade down if possible. We need all the picks we can get.
The bigger question at #9 is do you go with Williams, or best OL available (Davis/Bulaga). Very tough call, but my gut says it’s Williams. There will be some very good interior O-line or RGs left in the upper 2/3rds of the 2nd round, and we’d likely have 3 picks there if we traded our 5th with Buffalo. Having said that, I think KC goes with Thaddeus Gibson at the top of the 2nd. Best OL available with next pick…Pouncey could even be there at #41. If Gerhart’s available at #50 I’d be happy with those first 4 picks.
Matt, I completely agree. Williams with the #9, though I would also be happy with McClain (assuming his pro-day reflects the ability people think he has) or Haden (ditto). Best OLB with 2a, Pouncey with 2b, though I would go RG (Asamoah, Johnson) or K Wilson if he slips. Shipley or WR that slips would also be cool. Then take B Tate in the 4th to bolster the weapons on offense, and Veldheer in the 5th for depth at OT.