An
interior position on the
defensive line in
American football (and
Canadian football, though these details are tailored for the 11-man American game). In a
4-3 defense, there are two DTs (plus 2
defensive ends and 3
linebackers), generally lined up opposite the
offensive line's
guard-
center-guard interior; in a
3-4, there is only one DT (an extra linebacker takes his place), and this single DT usually lines up over the
gap between the center and one of the OGs.
Defensive tackles are usually the biggest players on the defense, as well as perhaps the slowest. Their primary responsibility is run defense, clogging the middle of the field to keep the offensive line from creating running lanes through that area. In pass defense, they push toward the quarterback like the rest of the line, but the designed pass rush is generally left to the faster defensive ends and linebackers. (This may change in stunts and twists, where a DT can wind up on the outside with a clearer path to the QB.)