The nose guard. Traditionally it’s a position given to the biggest man on the team, tasked to bust heads and clog up the middle of the field. That type of nose guard is no longer successful.
The best interior defensive linemen are still big guys, but they must be more agile and sudden in their movements. Along with size and athleticism, intelligence is placed at a premium.
“The days of just letting them go play; the game’s changed,” defensive line coach Derrick LeBlanc told KSR during training camp. “The old stigma that d-linemen aren’t very smart and they can’t think, I think those days are behind us.