NFL Most Valuable Positions

[suzzer99]

QB
LT (unless your QB sucks or is left handed)
RB (unless you're in a run & shoot type offense)
WR
Good MLB who can quarterback and fire up a defense
CB (if dominant, if just good, his importance falls way down)
TE
DE
C
OLB
RT
G
DT
H-back (on a team that uses them a lot like the colts)
S
FB
K
KR/PR (although this can go a lot higher if you have one that's on fire)
blocking tight end
P
special teams standout
nickel back
long snapper (unless he's horrible, then his importance can go way up)


I think an interesting thread would be - positions which can dominate a game.

[Kos13]

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But a center is just way to valuable. He makes all the line calls and does have the difficult job of doing 2 things at once, snapping/blocking.

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...except there are 5 OL and only 3/4 DL, so the center really just "fills the middle" and helps the guards. Most pass-rush pressure comes off the ends, and most rushes are to one side of the line. Especially today, where a focus is put on pass rushing DE's, center seems like the least important position on the OL to me.

[TheNoodleMan]

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CB (if dominant, if just good, his importance falls way down)

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Suzzer,
You seriously underestimate the value of being good. Most of a players value is in being average. The difference between Champ Bailey and average CB < the difference between average CB and worst starting CB.

Look at the contract that Jason David (who is clearly below average but a starter none the less) just got in the offseason and tell me that an average CB isn't very very valuable.

[SL__72]

Really, it should be something like:
QB
Backside Tackle
Everyone else
Kicker
Punter
FB

For everyone else it is just important to have no one that can be seriously exploited and also to have a few guys who are capable of exploiting average opponents.

[Kneel B4 Zod]

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What's more important is not to have any glaring weaknesses that an opponent can exploit.

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this is correct. I'd rather have 2 pretty good D lineman than 1 great d lineman and 1 average d lineman. great coaches can create schemes to exploit weaknesses...so I don't think the absolute importance of DE vs NT matters as much as having good guys all over the place.

said another way, even though DE is probably > NT, I'd rather have 2 "8's" at both positions than a 9 DE and a 7 NT.

I think, anyways.

[J.A.Sucker]

The real answer is QB.




Then about everything else. While it's great to have good players at other position and LT and C protect this player, I'll take my team with the best QB and average players all around everywhere else. See last year's Patriots team.

[AzDesertRat]

It should start

QB
then whatever tackle protects the Qb's blind side

I think the next one should be either a d'lineman or a linebacker who can disrupt the Qb/T combo depending on the defensive scheme of course then a lockdown corner.

[FishSticks]

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I think it's tough to put LT that far above other line positions. Naturally it's the premier line position, but if a team has a dominant RT and LG they can have a great line with any reasonable LT. An o-line is crucial for sure, but they're really playing as a unit out there.

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There is no such thing as a dominant RT in the NFL. Unless you have a left handed QB, you put your best T on the left. Theoretically a team could have 2 dominant tackles and play one at RT, but he'd have to be a very young player on his rookie contract or else they'd be in cap trouble.

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Lol you are incorrect. Look at like, Willie Anderson ffs.

[bottomset]

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Yeah I put center too low. I also just put MLB and left off OLB for whatever brainfart reason. So revised list....

QB
LT

CB
RB
WR

C
DE
DT
TE
RT
G

MLB
S
OLB

K
P
FB

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I think RB is too high, RBs have like a 3-4yr elite window and often are interchangeable

[Needle77]

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I'm sure if you asked a NFL coach what position he would rather have with an elite player, C or DE, I guarentee 28/32 would say C.

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Dude, lol.

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Maybe my mentality is too collegiate or high school. But there are multiple schemes that shut down elite DE's. I think people undervalue center because they don't understand the position. DE is easy to understand, you have 3 or 4 line stunts, a handful of zone coverages, and 1 or 2 man coverages, while the rest is either crashing, containing, or rush.

Centers have much more responsibility. I played both positions at the college level and center was about 10x more difficult, this coming from a LT at the high school level.

I want you to call up a college coach, and ask him the analyze the speed of the game from the outside in. The answer is that the game is 55 on the outsides T/5 and 9 techniques, 70 for G/3 techniques, and 120 for Center and 0/2i techniques.