In the Patriots’ complex defense, there are a lot of moving parts. Man defense. Zone defense. Zone with man underneath. 3-4 defense. 4-3 defense. Cover zero pressures. I haven’t even scratched the surface of the defensive playbook.
While the secondary and linebackers see players play multiple roles, the defensive line roles stay relatively constant. Danny Shelton and Malcom Brown play almost exclusively defensive tackle. Lawrence Guy covers base DE or 4-3 DT. Kyle Van Noy and Adrian Clayborn are sub package defensive ends. Adam Butler is a sub defensive tackle.