Pedal Mirror DRILL – How and Why

Each offseason,  I have a few things that I try to focus on with my clients based on what I have noticed the previous season and what I see as being a future trend with regards to offenses attacking the secondary.

This past offseason I put a heavy emphasis on defensive backs pedaling and staying square in coverage.  Years ago,  there was a movement by defensive back coaches to turn their cornerbacks as quickly as possible to get them in a running position sooner and to also turn them towards their reads pre-snap.

What resulted was back pedaling being trained a whole lot less in practice for both safeties and corners.  Now,  a ton of players coming up are struggling to perform this single most important act as a defender and it’s getting guys beat.  Furthermore,  wide receivers have observed this move by defensive backs and have found crafty ways to attack the blindspot and get wide open.

With that being the case,  I have returned defensive backs to the pedal and the most important notion of man coverage which is trying to stay square as long as possible whether you are playing off or playing press.

One of the best ways for me to teach that and drive the point home was with the “pedal mirror” drill.  In the video below,  I explain in it during a session with some of my NFL clients including:  Noah Igbinoghene (Dolphins), Isaac Yiadom (Saints), Keanu Neal (Steeler) and Amani Oruwariye (Giants).

The essence of the drill is to keep your inside leverage.  You do this by using your weave to mirror the receiver’s stem.  This prevents the receiver from stealing your leverage and gaining an advantage on you during the route.  Most defensive backs these days prefer to open their hips once a receiver stems them in the route.  This leads to closing off your body to a big part of the field and facing the danger of the receiver setting you up to race into that part of the field without you being able to defend it.

The audio in this video is me talking during the session and not a voice over.  So you are hearing me speak about the drill as I am explaining it to the players.  Enjoy it and 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.

• 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 Secret to Elite DB Play: Striving for Technique Perfection - March 17, 2026
• 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