I find that when people discuss drafts or just football in general, they tend to overlook some of the less flashy positions in favor of those that are front and center, such as quarterbacks. This post is not meant to discredit such popular positions, but rather lift up those that may not get as much attention as others and those who pass under the radar.
Linebackers:
Linebackers are one of the most underappreciated players, especially for the amount of pressure put on them. They have to be able to rush the passer, cover wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs, discern whether a play is a play action, a draw, or a run, pick off any bad throws made by a quarterback, and in general have god-like awareness. With many other positions, if the player isn’t good, the other positions are able to pick up the slack. If a quarterback isn’t playing well, the wide receivers can still catch balls and move the chains. If the offensive line isn’t playing well, the runningback still has the ability to make plays. But with linebacker, there’s no one to help if they can’t play well. In fact, not only can no one pick up the slack for them, they have to pick up the slack for basically all other positions on the defense. If the defensive tackle is unable to close the pocket, the defense depends on linebackers to rush the middle to help. If the defensive end can’t get pressure on the quarterback, then the defense has linebackers rush from the outside to get pressure. If a cornerback is too small to cover a receiver or tight end, you throw a linebacker at them (not literally of course, though that would be awesome to watch). Even with safeties, if they’re consistently missing tackles or failing to cover receivers, you put a linebacker deep to help them. They’re a jack of all trades, and are forced to play well at every defensive position possible, and yet they seem so underappreciated. Well I am here to put an end to such ignorance of the linebacker position, and I hope you all recognize the importance of a good linebacker.
Defensive tackle:
Okay so maybe i’m slightly biased here for putting my own position as an underappreciated one, but I do legitimately believe that defensive tackles are more important than people think. The reason for that, however, is not due to them being a jack of all trades, like how linebackers are, but rather just because of how underappreciated the position is. It’s probably one of the least flashy positions in the league, and it’s understandable why. Defensive tackles aren’t responsible for sacks or interceptions, which people seem to think are the two most important defensive statistics, and maybe they are. But there are three main things they are responsible for:
Pressuring the passer: If you’ve ever watched an ISFL or DSFL game, you’ve seen plenty of times a point where the pocket has completely collapsed and the QB is getting chased by a defensive end or linebacker. Usually, if that’s happened, that’s because of a defensive tackle. More specifically, that’s because a defensive tackle was able to push back one or two O-lineman enough to the point where the quarterback has to scramble to avoid getting taken down by the defensive tackle. the quarterback scrambling either allows defensive ends to break away from an O-lineman to sack the QB or allows a linebacker to break from their zone in order to rush the passer for a sack. This leads back into the defensive tackle not being a flashy position, as while they were the main reason for the sack being possible, they don’t get credited for it, as they’re rarely able to actually get the sack.
Opening holes for blitzers: I mentioned it a little bit before, but defensive tackles are either up against one or two offensive lineman, depending on the location of the tackle and the lineman. While it might seem suboptimal at first to be up against two offensive lineman, it can actually be perfect depending on the play. So there are five offensive lineman and four defensive lineman, and if one of the players on the defense takes up two offensive players, there’s no one left to stop any other possible rushers. This means that because the DT is taking on two offensive lineman at once, a linebacker or cornerback can easily get through to the QB (I understand I am ignoring the possibility of a tight end or runningback blocking for the QB, but for simplicity's sake let’s assume they’re all off somewhere in the backfield). Again, the defensive tackle rarely gets any credit, as it is the linebacker that’s attributed with the sack
Stopping an inside run: This one has to be the most important of the three, as this is completely dependent on them. With the other two, while they’re both good, you’re still able to win handily without them. If your defensive tackle can’t stop the run, winning becomes so much harder. Sure, an LB can stop an inside run, but by then the runningback will have gained about five or six yards at least, and while five yards isn’t a lot, that adds up quickly. Not to mention either the LB will be so preoccupied with the run he’ll let a TE get by for a big gain, or the LB will miss a run, leading to a big gain, or the worst possibility of the LB trying to pay attention to both at once, leading to them being bad at stopping either. Even on zone runs, which typically don’t go straight down the middle, the defensive tackle can help close gaps and holes to force the runningback to the outside, where he can be tackled by a defensive back. This is a little more visible on a stat sheet than the other two, as you can see how many tackles the DT gets, but there’s still enough intangibles that they don’t get properly rewarded for their efforts.
All in all, defensive tackle is an important position that often gets overlooked due to the lack of stats to show for their efforts.
Offensive Lineman:
Hordle specifically requested I do this position, so I figured why not. I’m never quite sure how to feel about the necessity of O-lineman, because on one hand they do get commonly overlooked, and they can be extremely important at times, but on the other hand it’s possible to make up for bad o-line play. In fact, there are offensive plays specifically meant to get rid of the ball quickly (like slants or curls) that can make up for a bad offensive line. However, I decided the pros of o-lineman outweighs the cons for two main reasons: running and long passes
Runs: Previously, i brought up how there are plays specifically meant to make up for a bad O-line. There’s really only one type of running play I could think of that could help with a bad o-line, and that’s a draw play. Draw plays are similar to play-actions, but flipped, so that the QB originally pretends to be in a pass play before handing it off to the runningback. This could possibly help because it could allow the runningback to catch the defense off guard and run through a hole that wouldn’t have been created otherwise. The main issue here is that after a bit defenses will catch on and stop falling for the draw. Running plays in general put basically all of the pressure on the O-line, and if one offensive lineman fails, then everything falls apart. With inside runs, if the center fails, the run fails. With outside runs, if the tackle fails to set a hard edge, the run fails. With zone, power, or gap runs, if the guard fails to create a crease or hole, the run fails. This may be slightly controversial, but I believe that runs are about as dependent on the offensive lineman as they are on the runningback, if not more. A good O-line can make a bad runningback good, and a bad O-line can make a good runningback bad.
Long pass plays: A little bit ago, I gave a couple examples of possible plays that the offense could run to get around a bad o-line. However, those plays, along with any other pass plays that can help with a bad O-line, are all quick and short plays. those are fine, but they can’t be the only pass plays the offense runs, for a couple reasons. They aren’t horribly efficient, for one. They also run the clock down, which might not be good when your team is losing. Defenses also might catch on over time, which will ruin the plan of only short pass plays. Every once in a while, you are going to have to run a long pass play. Even if you try to avoid it for most of the game, if you’re losing near the end, you’re going to run long pass plays in the hopes of quickly getting in the end zone. This is where a bad O-line will absolutely destroy the offense. the quarterback doesn’t get the luxury of quickly dumping off the ball, because he is now forced to wait for his receivers to get downfield. With crappy offensive lineman, a long pass play is just an invitation to be sacked, and there’s nothing the quarterback can do about it.
One more additional thing is that usually defenses blitz to try and pressure or sack the quarterback. If they can easily get that pressure without blitzing, those linebackers will instead go into coverage, making it harder to pass, as receivers will be less likely to get open. Offensive linemen are typically viewed as a luxury position; something you only add to your team if you can afford not boosting another position, and maybe they have a point. But offensive linemen can also really improve a team, and allow you to run plays you otherwise couldn’t run without a good O-line.
Tight ends (specifically blocking tight ends):
This part isn’t about the big play sort of tight end, the one that’s been more popular as of late. Those are important of course, but I wouldn’t say they fly under the radar or don’t get notified. This segment is about the blocking tight end, the one that fills in as a fullback or serves as a safety valve for the quarterback. Those guys seem to get no love, and i’m here to provide they attention they so deeply deserve. Maybe it’s just because i’m an older football sort of guy, with huge runningbacks bowling over people and large tight ends blocking for them, but i really do think they go underappreciated. There’s two main things they do: block for the runningback or quarterback and act as a safety valve for the QB
Blocking: earlier, I brought up how if a defensive tackle takes up two blockers, a blitzer can easily get by. However, that goes out the window when a TE starts blocking, because then you have more people on the offense to account for when blitzing, Defenses are forced to account for a tight end blocking whether or not he actually blocks, as they choose what plays to run before the snap, so they have no idea whether or not he’ll block and therefore must play it safe and assume he will. A blocking tight end can also limit the defense’s play calling, as many plays for the defense can be rendered ineffective by the addition of another blocker for the offense.
Safety valve: tight ends are forced to always be the dependable player; the player a quarterback can always throw to when no one else is open. They’re expected to be able to beat out anyone covering them. If a linebacker is covering them, they’re expected to take advantage of their lack of covering abilities. If a cornerback is covering them, they’re expected to overpower them because the tight end is commonly bigger. If a safety is covering them, then it’s a mix of both. It’s a huge amount of pressure on them, because they have to be both reliable and dependable for the quarterback.
All in all, blocking tight ends are extremely important and undervalued builds and undervalued players in all, and more value should be placed on them
Runningbacks (specifically power backs):
Runningbacks are usually seen as one of, if not the most overvalued players. However, I believe that the reasoning behind why they are overvalued excludes power backs. So let’s go through each of the reasonings behind why people think runningbacks are overrated and why this reasoning excludes powerbacks:
Runningbacks are dependent on their offensive lineman: This is a common claim and there is a bit of truth to it. After all, it’s impossible to juke or dodge around a defender if there’s no room to maneuver. With crappy offensive lineman, runs will commonly be stopped behind the line of scrimmage. However, I believe this claim is only relevant to pass catching and more elusive runningbacks. The reason I believe this is because it’s extremely hard to stop a RB behind the line of scrimmage if said RB can just power through you. A shifter or more elusive runningback is dangerous in open space, but in closed spaces or places where defenders are right on you is when power backs shine. I’m not saying that a power back could get a bunch of yards with a crappy o-line. I’m just saying that they’d be able to pick up a few yards, whereas any other kind of runningback gets tackled at the line of scrimmage.
A wide receiver is basically a runningback that starts past the line of scrimmage: This is an odd claim, but you can see the logic behind it: after catching the ball, the receiver becomes a runningback of sorts, so technically a dump off to a receiver acts as though they are a runningback starting ahead of the line of scrimmage. However, this is another way where a power back is an exception. A receiver has the ability to dodge and spin around receivers similar to a runningback (albeit maybe not as skillfully). However, it’s rare that they can break tackles or stiff arm in the way a power back could.
There is no use in a good runningback because they are all basically the same: Obviously this is a gross oversimplification and not very true, but there is a point behind it, which is that plenty of players other than runningbacks can juke or spin, so maybe they aren’t considered unique or special. However, while a bunch of players can be elusive like some runningbacks, none can really run quite the same as a power back. The closest would be a tight end, but they’re not as fast as a power back. A power back is a unique build that can’t really be replicated by any other player.
Power backs have a unique ability to turn a blown up play into a good one. If an offensive lineman misses a block, any other player would be taken down, but not a power back. Power backs are reliable players that can get you the yards you need, and will always go down fighting. They’re also just plain old fun to watch
Safeties:
This is about a very specific kind of safety. There are plenty of safeties out there, but the one i’m discussing are the ones who focus on things like hit power and run stopping. Those that focus on incompletions over interceptions. That may sound idiotic, but let me explain. Interceptions are great. That’s universally known. But going for an interception is risky, and if you fail you might give up a big play. It’s also a lot of luck to get an interception, so, depending on the interception, it can be more of a testament to the power of RNG than to the skill of the player. The type of safety i’m talking about is the one that can run all the way down the field and knock a receiver down mid-air to break up a pass. That sort of display of skill is less RNG and more about the skills of the player himself, such as his speed and strength. It’s also a much more reliable play, and will work much more consistently than going for an interception. These safeties, the ones that focus on tackling and strength, are the ones that are very undervalued. Not only can they make that tackle to force an incompletion, but they can also blitz to stop the run, which is extremely valuable.
GM’s: So I understand that a GM isn’t a player, and this part isn’t as draft related as the others. However, ai just wanted to acknowledge the importance of GM’s. Their job of both setting the depth chart and choosing the playbook is possibly the most important part of the game, and even the best players can be ruined by bad choices by the GM, and even the worst players can play well with a good GM. I just wanted to acknowledge their importance is all
So this is my article on positions that are important but undervalued. I hope GM’s take this into consideration during the draft, and I hope people recognize the importance of these players.
2910 words
1.5x media
Linebackers:
Linebackers are one of the most underappreciated players, especially for the amount of pressure put on them. They have to be able to rush the passer, cover wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs, discern whether a play is a play action, a draw, or a run, pick off any bad throws made by a quarterback, and in general have god-like awareness. With many other positions, if the player isn’t good, the other positions are able to pick up the slack. If a quarterback isn’t playing well, the wide receivers can still catch balls and move the chains. If the offensive line isn’t playing well, the runningback still has the ability to make plays. But with linebacker, there’s no one to help if they can’t play well. In fact, not only can no one pick up the slack for them, they have to pick up the slack for basically all other positions on the defense. If the defensive tackle is unable to close the pocket, the defense depends on linebackers to rush the middle to help. If the defensive end can’t get pressure on the quarterback, then the defense has linebackers rush from the outside to get pressure. If a cornerback is too small to cover a receiver or tight end, you throw a linebacker at them (not literally of course, though that would be awesome to watch). Even with safeties, if they’re consistently missing tackles or failing to cover receivers, you put a linebacker deep to help them. They’re a jack of all trades, and are forced to play well at every defensive position possible, and yet they seem so underappreciated. Well I am here to put an end to such ignorance of the linebacker position, and I hope you all recognize the importance of a good linebacker.
Defensive tackle:
Okay so maybe i’m slightly biased here for putting my own position as an underappreciated one, but I do legitimately believe that defensive tackles are more important than people think. The reason for that, however, is not due to them being a jack of all trades, like how linebackers are, but rather just because of how underappreciated the position is. It’s probably one of the least flashy positions in the league, and it’s understandable why. Defensive tackles aren’t responsible for sacks or interceptions, which people seem to think are the two most important defensive statistics, and maybe they are. But there are three main things they are responsible for:
Pressuring the passer: If you’ve ever watched an ISFL or DSFL game, you’ve seen plenty of times a point where the pocket has completely collapsed and the QB is getting chased by a defensive end or linebacker. Usually, if that’s happened, that’s because of a defensive tackle. More specifically, that’s because a defensive tackle was able to push back one or two O-lineman enough to the point where the quarterback has to scramble to avoid getting taken down by the defensive tackle. the quarterback scrambling either allows defensive ends to break away from an O-lineman to sack the QB or allows a linebacker to break from their zone in order to rush the passer for a sack. This leads back into the defensive tackle not being a flashy position, as while they were the main reason for the sack being possible, they don’t get credited for it, as they’re rarely able to actually get the sack.
Opening holes for blitzers: I mentioned it a little bit before, but defensive tackles are either up against one or two offensive lineman, depending on the location of the tackle and the lineman. While it might seem suboptimal at first to be up against two offensive lineman, it can actually be perfect depending on the play. So there are five offensive lineman and four defensive lineman, and if one of the players on the defense takes up two offensive players, there’s no one left to stop any other possible rushers. This means that because the DT is taking on two offensive lineman at once, a linebacker or cornerback can easily get through to the QB (I understand I am ignoring the possibility of a tight end or runningback blocking for the QB, but for simplicity's sake let’s assume they’re all off somewhere in the backfield). Again, the defensive tackle rarely gets any credit, as it is the linebacker that’s attributed with the sack
Stopping an inside run: This one has to be the most important of the three, as this is completely dependent on them. With the other two, while they’re both good, you’re still able to win handily without them. If your defensive tackle can’t stop the run, winning becomes so much harder. Sure, an LB can stop an inside run, but by then the runningback will have gained about five or six yards at least, and while five yards isn’t a lot, that adds up quickly. Not to mention either the LB will be so preoccupied with the run he’ll let a TE get by for a big gain, or the LB will miss a run, leading to a big gain, or the worst possibility of the LB trying to pay attention to both at once, leading to them being bad at stopping either. Even on zone runs, which typically don’t go straight down the middle, the defensive tackle can help close gaps and holes to force the runningback to the outside, where he can be tackled by a defensive back. This is a little more visible on a stat sheet than the other two, as you can see how many tackles the DT gets, but there’s still enough intangibles that they don’t get properly rewarded for their efforts.
All in all, defensive tackle is an important position that often gets overlooked due to the lack of stats to show for their efforts.
Offensive Lineman:
Hordle specifically requested I do this position, so I figured why not. I’m never quite sure how to feel about the necessity of O-lineman, because on one hand they do get commonly overlooked, and they can be extremely important at times, but on the other hand it’s possible to make up for bad o-line play. In fact, there are offensive plays specifically meant to get rid of the ball quickly (like slants or curls) that can make up for a bad offensive line. However, I decided the pros of o-lineman outweighs the cons for two main reasons: running and long passes
Runs: Previously, i brought up how there are plays specifically meant to make up for a bad O-line. There’s really only one type of running play I could think of that could help with a bad o-line, and that’s a draw play. Draw plays are similar to play-actions, but flipped, so that the QB originally pretends to be in a pass play before handing it off to the runningback. This could possibly help because it could allow the runningback to catch the defense off guard and run through a hole that wouldn’t have been created otherwise. The main issue here is that after a bit defenses will catch on and stop falling for the draw. Running plays in general put basically all of the pressure on the O-line, and if one offensive lineman fails, then everything falls apart. With inside runs, if the center fails, the run fails. With outside runs, if the tackle fails to set a hard edge, the run fails. With zone, power, or gap runs, if the guard fails to create a crease or hole, the run fails. This may be slightly controversial, but I believe that runs are about as dependent on the offensive lineman as they are on the runningback, if not more. A good O-line can make a bad runningback good, and a bad O-line can make a good runningback bad.
Long pass plays: A little bit ago, I gave a couple examples of possible plays that the offense could run to get around a bad o-line. However, those plays, along with any other pass plays that can help with a bad O-line, are all quick and short plays. those are fine, but they can’t be the only pass plays the offense runs, for a couple reasons. They aren’t horribly efficient, for one. They also run the clock down, which might not be good when your team is losing. Defenses also might catch on over time, which will ruin the plan of only short pass plays. Every once in a while, you are going to have to run a long pass play. Even if you try to avoid it for most of the game, if you’re losing near the end, you’re going to run long pass plays in the hopes of quickly getting in the end zone. This is where a bad O-line will absolutely destroy the offense. the quarterback doesn’t get the luxury of quickly dumping off the ball, because he is now forced to wait for his receivers to get downfield. With crappy offensive lineman, a long pass play is just an invitation to be sacked, and there’s nothing the quarterback can do about it.
One more additional thing is that usually defenses blitz to try and pressure or sack the quarterback. If they can easily get that pressure without blitzing, those linebackers will instead go into coverage, making it harder to pass, as receivers will be less likely to get open. Offensive linemen are typically viewed as a luxury position; something you only add to your team if you can afford not boosting another position, and maybe they have a point. But offensive linemen can also really improve a team, and allow you to run plays you otherwise couldn’t run without a good O-line.
Tight ends (specifically blocking tight ends):
This part isn’t about the big play sort of tight end, the one that’s been more popular as of late. Those are important of course, but I wouldn’t say they fly under the radar or don’t get notified. This segment is about the blocking tight end, the one that fills in as a fullback or serves as a safety valve for the quarterback. Those guys seem to get no love, and i’m here to provide they attention they so deeply deserve. Maybe it’s just because i’m an older football sort of guy, with huge runningbacks bowling over people and large tight ends blocking for them, but i really do think they go underappreciated. There’s two main things they do: block for the runningback or quarterback and act as a safety valve for the QB
Blocking: earlier, I brought up how if a defensive tackle takes up two blockers, a blitzer can easily get by. However, that goes out the window when a TE starts blocking, because then you have more people on the offense to account for when blitzing, Defenses are forced to account for a tight end blocking whether or not he actually blocks, as they choose what plays to run before the snap, so they have no idea whether or not he’ll block and therefore must play it safe and assume he will. A blocking tight end can also limit the defense’s play calling, as many plays for the defense can be rendered ineffective by the addition of another blocker for the offense.
Safety valve: tight ends are forced to always be the dependable player; the player a quarterback can always throw to when no one else is open. They’re expected to be able to beat out anyone covering them. If a linebacker is covering them, they’re expected to take advantage of their lack of covering abilities. If a cornerback is covering them, they’re expected to overpower them because the tight end is commonly bigger. If a safety is covering them, then it’s a mix of both. It’s a huge amount of pressure on them, because they have to be both reliable and dependable for the quarterback.
All in all, blocking tight ends are extremely important and undervalued builds and undervalued players in all, and more value should be placed on them
Runningbacks (specifically power backs):
Runningbacks are usually seen as one of, if not the most overvalued players. However, I believe that the reasoning behind why they are overvalued excludes power backs. So let’s go through each of the reasonings behind why people think runningbacks are overrated and why this reasoning excludes powerbacks:
Runningbacks are dependent on their offensive lineman: This is a common claim and there is a bit of truth to it. After all, it’s impossible to juke or dodge around a defender if there’s no room to maneuver. With crappy offensive lineman, runs will commonly be stopped behind the line of scrimmage. However, I believe this claim is only relevant to pass catching and more elusive runningbacks. The reason I believe this is because it’s extremely hard to stop a RB behind the line of scrimmage if said RB can just power through you. A shifter or more elusive runningback is dangerous in open space, but in closed spaces or places where defenders are right on you is when power backs shine. I’m not saying that a power back could get a bunch of yards with a crappy o-line. I’m just saying that they’d be able to pick up a few yards, whereas any other kind of runningback gets tackled at the line of scrimmage.
A wide receiver is basically a runningback that starts past the line of scrimmage: This is an odd claim, but you can see the logic behind it: after catching the ball, the receiver becomes a runningback of sorts, so technically a dump off to a receiver acts as though they are a runningback starting ahead of the line of scrimmage. However, this is another way where a power back is an exception. A receiver has the ability to dodge and spin around receivers similar to a runningback (albeit maybe not as skillfully). However, it’s rare that they can break tackles or stiff arm in the way a power back could.
There is no use in a good runningback because they are all basically the same: Obviously this is a gross oversimplification and not very true, but there is a point behind it, which is that plenty of players other than runningbacks can juke or spin, so maybe they aren’t considered unique or special. However, while a bunch of players can be elusive like some runningbacks, none can really run quite the same as a power back. The closest would be a tight end, but they’re not as fast as a power back. A power back is a unique build that can’t really be replicated by any other player.
Power backs have a unique ability to turn a blown up play into a good one. If an offensive lineman misses a block, any other player would be taken down, but not a power back. Power backs are reliable players that can get you the yards you need, and will always go down fighting. They’re also just plain old fun to watch
Safeties:
This is about a very specific kind of safety. There are plenty of safeties out there, but the one i’m discussing are the ones who focus on things like hit power and run stopping. Those that focus on incompletions over interceptions. That may sound idiotic, but let me explain. Interceptions are great. That’s universally known. But going for an interception is risky, and if you fail you might give up a big play. It’s also a lot of luck to get an interception, so, depending on the interception, it can be more of a testament to the power of RNG than to the skill of the player. The type of safety i’m talking about is the one that can run all the way down the field and knock a receiver down mid-air to break up a pass. That sort of display of skill is less RNG and more about the skills of the player himself, such as his speed and strength. It’s also a much more reliable play, and will work much more consistently than going for an interception. These safeties, the ones that focus on tackling and strength, are the ones that are very undervalued. Not only can they make that tackle to force an incompletion, but they can also blitz to stop the run, which is extremely valuable.
GM’s: So I understand that a GM isn’t a player, and this part isn’t as draft related as the others. However, ai just wanted to acknowledge the importance of GM’s. Their job of both setting the depth chart and choosing the playbook is possibly the most important part of the game, and even the best players can be ruined by bad choices by the GM, and even the worst players can play well with a good GM. I just wanted to acknowledge their importance is all
So this is my article on positions that are important but undervalued. I hope GM’s take this into consideration during the draft, and I hope people recognize the importance of these players.
2910 words
1.5x media