Pass blocking is the most over coached aspect of offensive line play. The fact is this, pass blocking in itself is not difficult to understand, it’s difficult to execute. The execution component is challenging to address because many of the solutions are found in training and not coaching jargon. What we see on film is merely a symptom of the true ailment. When you’re not feeling well and your temperature is high, the problem isn’t the high temperature. The issue is what’s causing the temperature to exceed normal ranges. The root cause of the high temperature needs to be addressed in order to “correct” the symptom of an elevated temperature. It’s the same reality with pass protection. You’re slow out of your stance. The root cause of being slow might be your body fat is too high and you’re weak in the lower body. You can’t coach that away.

Offensive line play is the most physically demanding job in all of sports. The coaching component equips a player with the “know how”, while the training builds a players “can do”.

Here are 5 exercises to build your “can do” for pass protection.

Front Squat
An element to good pass protection is learning how to synchronize the elbows and hips. Many players struggle with stopping a bullrush because they don’t understand how important of a role the elbows play in sitting on the bullrush. The hips and elbows are connected. If you want to sit lower, drop your elbows lower. This will sink your center of mass and that’s the key to bullrush prevention. The back squat doesn’t train you for this. 

Pull-Ups
If you can’t do pull-ups as an offensive lineman, you’re leaving a lot of untapped potential on the table. A well executed pull-up says one key thing, you’re strong. Pull-ups are not easy for big athletes. In order to perform them, you need to be relatively strong for your weight and lean. They build a tremendous amount of strength in the back and lats. Strong lats are a must have if you want to become a better pass blocker. Your lats are going to help keep your elbows tight, increase punching power and give you better control of your entire body. Hips and elbows are strongly connected, because of your lats. 

Power Clean
There isn’t a better lift that teaches how to dynamically receive a load. What is pass protection in a nutshell? It’s dynamically receiving a load. The stress across every joint through rapid succession of each type of muscle contraction is not found anywhere else other than on a football field. Make the power clean a staple of your offseason training. Take the time in the offseason to prepare for the rigors required of you while in-season. 

Rotational Throws
Developing core strength across your body will help take your game to where it needs to be. (Rotational throws require the core to transfer This is where you learn how to control your body and your opponents. Pass protection isn’t a monologue, it’s a dialogue. You must be capable of developing and receiving force across the body. 

VMO Drags
The VMO is one of the most important lower body muscles you can develop as a player. It’s a stabilizer. The ability to stabilize and effectively absorb eccentric forces is the hallmark of a good pass blocker. Read more on the.