Rank the most valuable positions

[seanbrock 1,684]

Pretty obvious. I know it differs depending on scheme and philosophy but what do YOU think? I'll get us started

 

1. QB- Obvious

 

2. DE/OLB- Most important thing after having a good QB is having a guy that can go kill the other teams good QB

 

3. Blindside OT- Only slightly less important than killing the other teams good QB is protecting your own QB. Really helps if the guy can get some movement for you in the running game too.

 

4. Interior Dline- these guys win you the battle up front. In a perfect world they can collapse the pocket and disrupt throwing lanes, but you really need them most to clog up running lanes.

 

5. Corner- Years ago you probably put ILB here, but the NFL is a different game now and teams pass a lot more. Not only do you need guys on the outside to match up with WR's, but you need slot corners too.

 

6. Interior offensive line- This is where your running game comes from. You need guys to be able to hold up in pass protection of course, but mostly you're just looking for maulers and road graters here. I lumped both guard positions with Center because I see them having equal value

 

7. Safety- You need at least one good safety in today's game in my estimation in order to have a good defense. Just don't get beat deep and wrap up, you're the last line of defense. If you can come up with some turnovers though..that'd be real cool.

 

8. ILB/OLB- Physicality, intelligence, instinctiveness and tackling. Should be your leading tacklers and is the second biggest key to stopping the run after you interior defensive line. If they can cover then that's a huge added bonus, just as long as they're not too big a liability. I lumped ILB and OLB together because in a 4-3 I think they have equal value and because it was much easier this way.

 

9. WR- I know I know, a little low with how much of a passing league it is but the league is so deep at WR right now and with the rules the way they are your WR's don't even have to be great, you can scheme guys open, but having a great WR is always a big plus

 

10 TE- This could be somewhat controversial, but having a good pass catching TE is such a match up nightmare. If you have to stick a CB or a safety on them, somebody is going to be left open and in short yardage and goal line situation, size just flat out wins in a lot of cases

 

11. RB- sometimes you make exceptions for the exceptionally talented RB's but honestly if you can pass the ball and have a good offensive line you're going to have an effective running game and as long as they don't have shit hands they should be able to be a match up advantage against LB's and safeties.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[KempBolt 498]

A couple disclaimers:

 

Positional value shouldn't trump talent. I'll take a special player at guard over an average pass rusher. We've seen that sentiment in the draft now that the wage scale is in place. Teams aren't afraid to take an interior offensive lineman early if they feel they're a special prospect. To me, positional value is best used as something of a tie breaker.

 

Positional value is fluid depending on the opponent and what sort of things they like to do. What follows are my ideas for how things work in general in today's league, but that could change too. I personally think that as defenses continue to fill their rosters with speed over power (to counter passing attacks), we'll see a swing back to rushing offense to take advantage. And that would then precipitate a swing back to bigger/stronger personnel on defense (and more value on run defenders). And around and around we go.

 

1. QB: This is obvious.

 

2. Pass rusher: Pass rushers and defensive backs have a symbiotic relationship, but from my observation, the former help the latter more than the other other way around. Also, the cumulative effect of pass rush on a QB is more destructive than the effect of good coverage.

 

3. Corner: As quick passing becomes more widely used in the NFL, corner play is becoming more and more valuable. Pass rush can be negated by guys who get the ball out in 2 seconds, so you have to be able to make plays in coverage and disrupt timing. They're also becoming more valuable because you simply need more of them in today's NFL. You virtually have three starting corners. You see this value in the contracts being handed out.

 

4. OT: Left tackles are still more valuable than right tackles, but the gap isn't as wide as people think. In any case, the value of these players is dictated by the caliber of athletes the NFL boasts at edge rusher. But I have them 4th, because great QB's can still be great with average OT play.

 

5. Interior DL: The type of interior lineman that is valued highly has changed, but guys who can play well against the run, and still contribute to the pass rush are still very important. If you can't keep teams from running down your throat, you'll never be in position to rush the passer.

 

6. Safety: As schemes become more multiple, the value of safeties continue to rise. It's commonplace nowadays to see the same guy asked to cover a receiver, and play a LB role within the same game. You can work around their deficiencies with good corner and LB play, but the best ones are still invaluable.

 

7. Pass catcher: As the rules favor offensive success, offensive personnel become less valuable than defensive personnel. You don't have to be as good at your job to succeed on the offensive side of the ball. Pass catchers are still valuable, but a good QB with protection can make lesser talent productive.

 

8. Off LOS LB: These guys are being taken off the field more and more to be replaced by defensive backs. The more athletic guys are still very useful, as they can cover TE's and backs and contribute that way. But their overall value has declined as it's become more of a passing league.

 

9. Interior OL: I love interior OL play, but I think the reality remains that they're some of the more replaceable guys on the field. They also don't require plus athleticism to be successful, and many good ones are found later in the draft.

 

10. Running back: The most fungible position in the league. To me, it's mostly because great OL and QB play can make average backs productive. You don't need a great one to establish a running game. And very rare is the back who can be really productive without those things. Lastly, a committee approach is actually feasible here in ways it couldn't be at most other positions.

Edited October 7, 2014 by KempBolt

[BJORN 679]

1. QB

2. Pass rush

3. Interior DL

4. OT

5. Interior OL

6. ILB

7. S

8a. CB

8b. WR

9a. RB

9b. TE

 

Game is won on the line of scrimmage, IMO. Hence the reason for ranking pass rushers, Dline, and Offensive line so high. ILB and S are close, have great impact in all phases and are usually the leaders and playmakers of the defense. CB, TE, RB, WR are all great luxuries to have but I think good situations at the positions above can greatly compensate for lesser talents at those positions.

Edited October 7, 2014 by BJORN

[KempBolt 498]

1. QB

2. Pass rush

3. Interior DL

4. OT

5. OG

6. ILB

7. S

8a. CB

8b. WR

9a. RB

9b. TE

 

Game is won on the line of scrimmage, IMO. Hence the reason for ranking pass rushers, Dline, and Offensive line so high. ILB and S are close, have great impact in all phases and are usually the leaders and playmakers of the defense. CB, TE, RB, WR are all great luxuries to have but I think good situations at the positions above can greatly compensate for lesser talents at those positions.

 

I get building through the trenches and all that, but I can't begin to understand CB at 8.

[Cherry 1,302]

1. QB

2. LT

3. DE/3-4 OLB

4. FS

5. ILB/4-3 OLB

6. CB

7t. DT

7t. WR

8. TE

9t. C

9t. RB

10. SS

11. P

12. RT

13. K

14. RG

15. LG

16. FB

[KempBolt 498]

Watching what Manning, Rivers, Luck, Newton, Brees, Ryan, Romo, Manning, Roethlisberger, Rodgers, and Cutler have done at times in their careers with less than stellar LT play really makes me question it as the 2nd most important position that a lot of people argue it to be. Doesn't add up IMO. Nor do the salaries support that theory.

[Cherry 1,302]

Don't think the stellar play of those guys relates to their LTs all the time. It really depends on the talent level of the QB. That's why I have QB #1. Good LT play makes guys like Hoyer and Stanton look tolerable.

[KempBolt 498]

Don't think the stellar play of those guys relates to their LTs all the time. It really depends on the talent level of the QB. That's why I have QB #1. Good LT play makes guys like Hoyer and Stanton look tolerable.

 

But it's not like the list of QB's who are great with just OK LT play is short. It's not just the elites who can do that. If it really was the 2nd most important position in the league, shouldn't we see a stronger correlation between great LT play and success?

[BJORN 679]

 

I get building through the trenches and all that, but I can't begin to understand CB at 8.

It's a tough task to rank defensive positions but I think ILB and safeties can make a larger overall impact than corners because they contribute more in both run and pass defense. I do think at the very least I should bump down interior OL and move those defensive positions upwards.

[Cherry 1,302]

 

But it's not like the list of QB's who are great with just OK LT play is short. It's not just the elites who can do that. If it really was the 2nd most important position in the league, shouldn't we see a stronger correlation between great LT play and success?

QB > LT. A great QB makes a bad LT look good but a great LT can only make a bad QB average. You mistake a talent overflow at QB for a lack of value in LTs.

[Sarge+ 3,436]

I personally think Center is the most important position on the OL. I know many people disagree though.

[Cherry 1,302]

I have center higher up than most. I think that center takes a tremendous amount of talent and smarts to be accurate and effective with snapping the ball on time and halting incoming pass-rushers. The only problem with center is that while it does take a lot of talent to play, it isn't as key of a position as say LT. I'll take a bad center over a bad LT any day. Like that you bring it up though.

[Sarge+ 3,436]

A-gap control is pretty important. It's easier for a QB to avoid outside pass rush than interior pass rush. As long as a QB can step up in the pocket and/or have a quick release, your LT getting beat can be easier to manage than your center getting beat in pass protection.

[KempBolt 498]

QB > LT. A great QB makes a bad LT look good but a great LT can only make a bad QB average. You mistake a talent overflow at QB for a lack of value in LTs.

No, I'm pointing out that having issues at LT is too easily mitigated around the league for me to consider it the 2nd most important position in the game. We don't see teams work around having a terrible pass rush in the same way.

[KempBolt 498]

A-gap control is pretty important. It's easier for a QB to avoid outside pass rush than interior pass rush. As long as a QB can step up in the pocket and/or have a quick release, your LT getting beat can be easier to manage than your center getting beat in pass protection.

I think center play is the most important aspect of OL success as well. But then again, I don't think it takes rare athleticism or physical tools to play the position. There seems to be an abundance of guys in the league who can offer at least serviceable center play. Lowers the value.

Edited October 7, 2014 by KempBolt

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

From a position perspective I consider interior linemen to be more valuable over an OT. Only reason I would consider OT more valuable overall isn't because the position is more valuable, but because a good tackle is harder to find later then a good OG.

[KempBolt 498]

From a position perspective I consider interior linemen to be more valuable over an OT. Only reason I would consider OT more valuable overall isn't because the position is more valuable, but because a good tackle is harder to find later then a good OG.

Yeah I can understand that.

[ATL_Predator+ 1,196]

1. QB - Too obvious

2. DE/OLB - Without a pass rush in today's NFL, you aren't going anywhere.

3. LT/RT - If you can't keep your QB's blindside and opposite edge protected against the NFL's top edge rushers...you're kinda fucked.

4. Interior lineman - It doesn't matter offense or defense, you build a team from the inside out and if you can get pressure up the middle on D, and stop that pressure on offense. You got yourself a nice team at this point.

5. Corner - This is a pass heavy league, the better the corners, the little more easy life gets

 

As far as the rest...I'd have to say WR would be at 6, but those that I mentioned will make or break you. Fast.

Edited October 7, 2014 by ATL

[seanbrock 1,684]

 

But it's not like the list of QB's who are great with just OK LT play is short. It's not just the elites who can do that. If it really was the 2nd most important position in the league, shouldn't we see a stronger correlation between great LT play and success?

Half of them have also missed multiple games causing their teams to miss the playoffs. It's not so much that they can't make plays with questionable LT play, it's more just trying to keep them healthy.