I’m a pretty big NFL fan but I still haven’t figured this out, it seems that having an elite linebacker can elevate a defense substantially so why then is linebacker rarely ever chosen in the top 5 and why are top linebacker prospects almost never considered for the 1st pick of the draft? I get why teams don’t go CB, WR, TE, RB and S with the 1st pick since they can be pulled out of a play unlike QBs and DEs but why no love for linebackers?
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Linebackers are sort of a jack-of-all-trades position. They need to rush, they need to pursue and tackle, and they need to defend against the pass. This makes them the most pure position athletically, as they need to be able to do a little bit of everything, but that also makes them not very good at being the best at any one particular thing. They aren’t quite big enough be the biggest rushing force, and they aren’t quite nimble enough the be the best man-coverage pass defenders. That makes them rarely the “best” option available when you have particular holes you need filled in your lineup. But having a good linebacker is a tremendous help to the rest of your roster, since they can cover for a lot of deficiencies.
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