4 Common Mistakes Made in Press Man

Every now and then you come across some good teach tape. I know what you are thinking. You are thinking it’s a video of someone doing something right. Well, not in this case.

I recently came across a video of a high school defensive back playing press man in practice against a wide receiver and it just highlighted the most common mistakes young defensive backs make when they are playing press.

The video is at the end of this post but really quickly let me summarize what those mistakes are.

(1) Aligning Too Close

I see this a lot. Guys figure that the closer they align to the wide receiver, the less space he will have going down the field. Sure, I get that thinking but a couple of things. A good WR won’t let you line up right in his face. Two, if you line up really close to the WR and don’t get your hands on him immediately, you will likely lose the rep. It is important to learn how to play press with space between you and the WR because that’s what it will be like when you face a good one.

(2) Eyes Too High

Another common mistake. Either the defensive back starts off with his eyes too high vs. a wide receiver or immediately after the WR moves, the defensive back’s eyes move to the wrong place. Whatever the case may be, if your eyes are on the WR’s face or shoulders, expect to get shook at the line of scrimmage and lose the rep.

(3) Jumping or Hopping at the Line

This mistake is typically a function of numbers one and two but it can also happen by itself. If the first move by the wide receiver makes you panic then you should move a lil further back. Many defensive backs jump and split their feet the moment the WR moves. This puts the defensive back in a bad position which is having their feet outside of their hips. It is difficult to regather yourself from that wide base to a position that allows you to either slide or turn quickly to move with the WR. It puts you at a disadvantage almost immediately.

(4) Breaking off of the Wrong Foot

As the route progresses down the field, the WR may break the route off because not every route is a deep one. When that receiver breaks his route off on either an out, comeback, dig or curl, you, as the defensive back, can not try to break off of your front foot. Attempting to break off of your front foot is usually a bad proposition. Breaking off the front foot causes one or both of two things. Either you slip because you don’t get a solid plant with the front foot or you commit yourself to extra steps to stabilize your body before running out of your break. Neither of those things are good.

Check out the video below for in-depth analysis + visual of the mistakes made in press. Enjoy and if you have any questions, feel free to email me: cwilson@alleyesdbcamp.com

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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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