DB Drills: 4 Cone Top of the Route

Drills!!  Don’t we love them.  Many of focus our press man training on what happens at the line of scrimmage and while that does take a lot of time to perfect,  it can be worthless if we aren’t sharp or know what to do once the receiver exits the line of scrimmage.

How many times have you done good work at the line of scrimmage including getting a solid jam only to end up with the receiver getting separation and catching the ball at the end.  This can be very frustrating for sure.  If you do not train yourself to handle matters correctly as you run down the field with receivers and break on routes,  this will happen to you quite often.

Enter the 4 cone top of the route drill.  This drill simulates a receiver running two routes in one drill and having the defensive back break effectively on both of them.  So the receiver lines up on one of the cones and runs from one cone to the other getting in and out of breaks like a receiver does.  Running next to him is the defensive back who is focused on the wide receiver and breaking on the routes too.

What the drill does is sharpen the breaks for the defensive backs,  improves his footwork at the top of the routes and teach him how to drive his eyes to the WR out of the breaks.

A couple coaching points.  Make sure the defensive backs aren’t playing the drill.  They know the path the receiver is going to take.  Put the emphasis on him studying the nearest hip of the WR and not trying to anticipate his break (as you get advanced in the drill you can add some surprise elements to it).  You don’t want the DB breaking on the route before the WR because that is not going to be realistic.  It’s a great drill when the defensive back stays true and does not over play the route.  The big focus is the eyes and teaching the defensive back to match the hips of the wide receiver.  If the receiver’s hips are pointing to the cone then the DB’s hips should be doing the same.

Consistently training this drill will turn your DB’s into guys who are very sharp breaking on short and intermediate routes in press man.  Check out the video below.  As always,  you can contact me via email cwilson@alleyesdbcamp.com with any questions or comments you have about the drill.  OR. you can scroll below the post and post a comment on it.  I will read those as well.  Thank you for being a member!

• Author
• Recent Posts

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.

Latest posts by alleyesdbcamp (see all)

• The Alien Era: How Defensive Backs Can Win vs Athletic Tight Ends - March 4, 2026
• These 4 Drills Will Drastically Improve Your Off Man Coverage - February 25, 2026
• How Elite DBs Read Route Concepts Before the Snap - February 25, 2026