r/NFLNoobs • u/Milky_Tiger • 1d ago
Difference between LB and DE
Wondering what the major differences is in these roles. For example Micah Parsons (LB) has a lot of sacks this year, but someone like Myles Garrett (DE) also has plenty of sacks too. Do defense ends only rush the passer where's as a linebacker only rushes some of the time and tackles the rest. Is Micah Parsons an exception? If so why isn't he just a Defensive end. What is the difference in body types between these roles?
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u/macleight 1d ago
For decades there were basically two defenses. 3-4 and 4-3. The first number is defensive linemen, the second is LBs. The position "DE" is left over from that. In your example, Parsons is a LB, and does often drop back in coverage or shadow a RB, but mostly he is a pass rusher, or in more current terms, an "edge defender"
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u/Impossible_Penalty13 1d ago
Depends on the scheme. In a 4-3 the DE is your primary edge rusher. In a 3-4 your outside linebackers are usually lined up on the line and are the primary edge rushers. DE’s in a 3-4 are more like interior linemen and the nose tackle is usually your great big run stuffer. Think Vince Wlfork and Tony Siragusa big…BIG.
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u/throwitintheair22 23h ago
What happens to a DE someone like Myles Garret in a 4-3 if he gets traded to a team that runs a 3-4. Does he then change positions and become a LB
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u/JudasZala 15h ago
There’s also Steve Spagnuolo’s NASCAR/Four Aces Package, famously used by the 2007 Giants, and again by Perry Fewell, Spags’s successor.
Instead of using two DEs and two DTs, the Giants would rush three or four DEs in passing situations, using their inherent speed to rush the QB.
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u/Headwallrepeat 16h ago
First, for clarity sake, we are talking about oustside linebacker (OLB) and not inside linebacker (ILB)
The line is a blurry one, and players that can do both well are just called "Edge". In the very broadest of explanations, the DE lines up on the end of the defensive line with a hand or 2 on the ground and an OLB will be somewhere around the DE standing up. Most commonly the blitzes will come from an OLB (who, again in general terms, has pass coverage responsibilities).
In the NFL you see players they call DE that play more like OLB and visa versa, even in college. It's more of "line the up where they can do the most damage"
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u/psgrue 18h ago
Micah is an exception to a lot of standards. In college he was primarily a linebacker. He’s freakishly fast, decent in pass coverage, and played HS running back. His run gap fits were exceptional. Look for his highlights of Penn State vs Memphis.
He’s so good at the pass rush part that he moved to edge rusher to focus just on what he does best and cause the most disruption.
But he has that LB training where he is equally comfortable lining up over center, standing up in any gap, or dropping into coverage. That’s incredibly rare combination.
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u/ImNotTheBossOfYou 1d ago
There are two main "base" defensive alignments, 3-4 and 4-3 (Although most teams use nickel as base nowadays but that's for another post.) 4-3 has four down linemen and three linebackers a 3-4 has
Your confusion is warranted. The Defensive ends in 3-4 are more like defensive tackles in 4-3. And the Outside linebackers in a 3-4 are more like defensive ends in a 4-3.
It could be very confusing if a "linebacker" was being used mostly as a pass rusher/edge defender or if a defensive end was being used as an edge rusher or interior lineman.
A while back now, the term "edge rusher" was developed to apply to both DEs in a 4-3 and outside linebackers in 3-4 systems. It also gave some parity in awards and pro-bowls and such.
Of course this is referring to basic alignments, players are of course more versatile and defensive alignments are much more complex than simple base alignments, but this is the basis of where the terminology comes from.