Playbooks
Edge Blitz 2 out of the 4-2-5 3 High set is a five man pressure package built to attack the edges off the snap while dropping into a Cover 2 shell behind it. The design brings both outside linebackers or edge rushers off the corners with contain rush lanes while the interior defensive line occupies double teams, and the two deep safeties split the field to protect against verticals over the top. Your primary read is the quarterback's eyes and pocket movement: if he steps up into the pocket you rely on the interior push, but if he bails to either edge the blitzers are already leveraged to close the escape lane, so key the edge defenders' contain first and the underneath zone defenders second.
Pre-snap, check safety depth and cornerback alignment, if the corners are playing off with safeties at 10 to 12 yards you are disguised well and quarterbacks will struggle to identify the blitz. Post-snap, key the running back's release, if he stays in to chip block the edge rushers you have extra time for the coverage shell to set, if he leaks out to the flat you need underneath defenders to react immediately. This play beats quarterbacks who love to escape the pocket to either edge on scrambles or designed rollouts, since the contain rushers eliminate that outlet. This play struggles against quick three step drop concepts and hard play action rollouts to the opposite side of the edge pressure, since the far side rusher can be schemed out of the play. Watch for offensive line slide protection, if the line shifts to one side pre-snap the offense may be sliding help toward your edge rush, so consider hot routing the far side rusher to a delayed inside blitz to counter the extra protection.
Use this on early downs or third and medium when you expect the offense to call a quick game or shotgun spread concept that relies on the quarterback getting outside the tackles to buy time.
Check the offensive formation pre-snap for empty sets or bunch looks that suggest quick game man beaters, since Edge Blitz 2 removes escape lanes against mobile quarterbacks who like to roll out.
User the closest underneath defender to the strong side flat to jump quick outs or flare routes that try to beat the edge pressure before the rush gets home.
Mix this call with Cover 2 Match or Cover 2 Lurk from the same set so quarterbacks cannot key blitz tendencies purely off your presnap shell, since all three disguise as two deep safety looks.
Avoid calling this into empty backfield sets against quick game spammers, instead save it for standard dropback or play action heavy tendencies where the extra half second of edge containment pays off.