Base alignment of the 4-2-5 Defense against 11 Personnel. Alignment is the easiest and most important lever you can pull to solve problems for your defense.

So here are the Top 10 Levers for the 4-2-5 Defense System our we see in our Game Film Analysis service for JDFB Premium Coaching Systems Platinum clients…

10. Free Safety keys the QB. He's the key to the umbrella. No matter what coverage you run, the safety is the alley defender. 9th man in the box. Use the ball up, ball down key read we teach in our System.

9. Linebacker staggered stance. The false step is a killer. You're losing a half second even if you get a good read. I started teaching a staggered stance that fixes that false step almost immediately. The Linebacker Launch Lab available from our JDFB Store shows you how to teach that stance.

8. Defensive Line screen retrace drill. It's a key read lever. Work it every day. Screens are a killer. The drill is in our Defensive Drill System, included with JDFB Premium Coaching Systems Gold or Platinum.

7. Get the cornerback's chest down in his stance. An easy stance lever no one sees. When corners are standing straight up, they can't change direction in their back pedal. Take away the quick hitch by keeping the chest down.

6. Linebackers key the Guards. Key read levers are harder to change mid-season, so start simple. In the 4-2-5 Defense System we teach a simple key read to get them going. You can also get the drills we teach with the Linebacker Launch Lab in the JDFB Store.

5. Free Safety splits the #2 receivers. Alignment lever. The easiest adjustment to make. I see too many safeties standing over top of the ball. This is for single-high safety coverages like Cover 3 and Cover 1.

4. Align the corners at 7 yards in Zone. Combine this with Lever #7. I like to press in man, and disguise at times. But 7 yards is the sweet spot for Cover 3 and Quarters... IF he has a good stance. This is a non-negotiable for our corners (it takes zero talent to do it right).

3. Tilt the Defensive Ends. Stance lever. Ends that are running up the field are an easy kick-out. Take those seams away. Spill the ball to the safeties. Combine this with the down block key read drill that is in the Defensive Drill System.

Teaching the staggered stance for Linebackers, inside the Defensive Drill System. Each drill includes on-field installation video and live game film showing how the drill work translates to the field.

2. Linebackers at 5 yards. So simple. Do not let your linebackers line up close to the ball. They can't scrape to the edges, and it is too easy for those big offensive linemen to get hands on them. He needs room to key read and flow. Heels at 5 yards, or even deeper when they're learning key reads. (see #5)
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​1. Overhang Safety alignment. Deeper and wider. Align where they are going and meet them on the way. Stop creating vertical seams (if you're a Platinum client sending your film for Game Film Analysis, you'll hear this a lot). Combine this with the same QB key we teach the Free Safety (see #10).
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​These levers are all low hanging fruit to fix problems. You don’t need to install another front or a new blitz. The Top 5 don’t even require a drill. Just change where your feet are.
Most of those levers work for any defensive front. At least in some shape or form. Good football doesn't care what you call your defense. 

Good defense is based on principles, like the Umbrella Run Fits principle. When you see a coach getting hung up on numbers (like 4-2-5 vs 4-4) you can dismiss a lot of what they have to say.

Great defense starts with having a System. Every part from the playbook to the drills and practice plan has to work together. To get your System right, check out my guide to building your Ultimate Defensive Football Coaching System: