2 Minute Drill: 3 Down Press Drill

One of the hardest thing to do in your training sessions when it comes to working on press man is trying to duplicate game situations. With the drill that I describe in the video down below, we can come pretty close to doing that.

The name of the drill is 3 downs press drill. In a nutshell, the defensive back is going to go against three different athletes that are going to take releases on him.  He’s going to have to work to defend the route,  keep leverage, etc. This goes beyond just the initial steps at the line of scrimmage which is typically a point of emphasis for me in my sessions because it is important to start off right. However, you do need to put the whole puzzle together if you are going to get the desired results.

So I use this drill to get the player beyond the start point and into routes while also incorporating different receivers and potentially a fatigue factor. I go into detail about how this drill works in the video but in a nutshell, I stand about 10 yards behind the defensive back as he’s facing the receiver, and I will give the receiver a release and route to run. It’s typically one of three choices: an outside released fade, an inside release vertical stem or an inside release slant. These are the most common releases a DB will get against press

The defensive back will defend the route for 10 yards and at its completion, he will jog back down to the starting line to take on a new receiver, who will run the route that he is given by me. If the defensive back looks fairly solid in those three reps, he’s good to go, and the drill ends for him. If he looks shaky, I say he has another route, which is 4th down.

This gives a simulated game situation and puts a little pressure on the defensive back. We know part of playing press man is the pressure of actually covering guys. This also gives a defensive back the opportunity to go against different players with different styles of releasing. So he might get a big guy that’s physical one rep and then a smaller guy that has a lot of lateral quickness in the next rep. It’s one of my favorite drills to work press man after we’ve put everything together.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me via email at: cwilson@alleyesdbcamp.com  – thank you for being a member!

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alleyesdbcamp

Owner at All Eyes DB Camp

Chad Wilson is the founder of All Eyes DB Camp and a former standout defensive back for the Miami Hurricanes. After an elite collegiate career, Wilson spent a season with the Seattle Seahawks before transitioning into coaching. A 3-time Florida state champion defensive coordinator, he has spent over 20 years developing the "All Eyes" blueprint that has produced NFL All-Pros and stars like Xavien Howard, Patrick Surtain II, Tyson Campbell, Minkah Fitzpatrick and more. His coaching system is proven at the highest levels—his own sons, Quincy and Marco Wilson, both excelled as starters in the SEC before being drafted into the NFL.

Chad is the author of "101 DB Tips"—The Ultimate DB Reference Guide. You can find more information on the manual and how to order your copy in the sidebar and footer of this page.

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