POSITION INFO
Some Descriptions to better your understanding of your position and American football in general. We have said the best players in specific positions in case you want to watch how they play that position and how that position works.
Quarterback
The quarterback's job is to control the offence by throwing the ball to their receivers or giving it to their running back. They essentially carry all the pressure because they need to decide who to throw it to. Quarterbacks usually have an accurate strong throw and have good awareness of the field and positionings. If in need, quarterbacks can scramble, this is when they have no options to pass the ball so they run down the field themselves. Some quarterbacks revel in a scramble and opt for it way more than others. If they have no options and have no opportunities to scramble, then they usually throw the ball away, either out of bounds or on the ground in field.
Another type of quarterback is the pinpoint. These guys rarely scramble and are known for supreme accuracy. The best type of quarterback has accurate passing but if in need they can scramble and gain some serious yardage. These types are called hybrids. There is no particular build for a quarterback as there are so many different ways you can play this role. They are the most important player on the offence as they receive every snap.
There is one quarterback on the field at once.
Best scrambler quarterbacks: Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray
Best pinpoint quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers
Best Hybrid quarterbacks: Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen
Running Back
The running backs job is to run. I know, crazy right. They usually stand behind the quarterback at an angle and in some cases to the side. In most cases, the quarterback hands the running back the ball and he runs off whilst other players block the opponent to create a path for him to run. However in most passing plays, the running back usually drifts off to the side and in case the quarterback doesn't have options upfield, they will usually pass to the waiting running back to gain a few yards. Running backs are typically very strong to break tackles and fast. When a running play is called, every other player blocks for the running back.
We recommend having one running back on the field.
The best running backs in the NFL are:
Saquon Barkley
Derick Henry
Christian Mccaffrey
Nick Chubb
Wide receiver
The wide receiver's job is to get open and catch the ball to gain yards. They usually have a route to follow in a certain play which is designed to get them open and away from defenders before they receive the ball. Wide receivers are typically fast, agile and can catch well. The wide receivers are generally the main target of the quarterback and are counted on heavily.
We recommend 2 wide receivers on your team on the field.
Here are the best wide receivers in NFL :
Tyreek Hill
Stefon Diggs
Davante Adams
Justin Jefferson
Offensive Linemen
The offensive lineman's job is to protect the quarterback and running back. They aren’t allowed to hold the defensive linemen, only allowed to push. This is why offensive linemen are usually large with good balance and strength. The offensive linemen are secretly the star of the show because if the defensive players get to the quarterback quickly, the whole offence will collapse. They usually get no credit however they are forever in the hearts of their teams and should be proud to represent this position.
One of the offensive linemen is called the centre and he is the person who snaps the ball the ball to the quarterback. A snap is when the play starts, and it is usually when the centre crouches over the ball on the ground and throws it under their legs to the quarterback. That is a shotgun snap. However the quarterback sometimes takes the ball from the centre's hands instead of the ball being thrown to them.
The centre is the hardest position to play in the offensive line because they have to make a good snap before they start blocking whereas the other linemen have to only block. This means the centre must have amazing balance, hand speed, and good throwing skills.
We recommend your team having 3 offensive linemen on the field. One being the center
The best Offensive Linemen in the NFL right now are:
Trent Williams
Tyron Smith
Lane Jhonson
Tight End
The tight end is a mix between an Offensive linemen and a wide receiver. He usually blocks for the quarterback and running back for a couple seconds and then splits to run a short route. On some plays they run straight away and on some plays they block the entire time. Their role depends on a specific play. Tight ends are usually tall, quite big, quite fast, can hit hard and can keep balance.
We recommend having one tight end on the field.
The best Tight ends in the NFL are:
George Kittle
Travis Kelce
Mark Andrews
Defensive Positions
Linebacker
On the defence, the linebacker is the most important player on the defence. One of their responsibilities is to plug the hole of the running backs run. This means they have to recognise when it's a running play and sprint up once the ball is snapped to make the tackle. If it is a passing play, the linebackers have to decide whether they want to play zonal or man defence.
If it is zonal then it means the linebackers are assigned a part of the field they have to defend which should in total cover most of the gaps in the field.
If the play called is man coverage then each linebacker will track a particular player, one will have the running back and the other should cover either the TE or the quarterback. This is usually the easiest option as it prevents mix ups between defenders.
We recommend having 2 linebackers on the field
The best linebackers in the NFL currently are:
Roquan smith
Deion Jones
Eric Kendricks
Cornerback
The cornerback's main role is to cover the wide receiver. They line up in line with the wide receivers and attempt to track their route. They attempt to stop the receiver from getting the ball by either swatting it or intercepting it. They are only allowed to push the receiver for 5 yards and after that, they aren't allowed any contact with the receiver until they have touched the ball.If they touch the receiver past 5 yards of the line of scrimmage, it is pass interference and the offensive team gains the ball where the interference happened. If the pass interference occurs in the end zone, the ball will be placed on the 1 yard line and the offence will keep possession. Once the receiver has the ball, the cornerback's job is to tackle them and try to force a fumble. Cornerbacks are usually extremely agile, fast and strong
We recommend 2 cornerbacks on the field.
The best cornerbacks in the NFL are:
Marlon Humphrey
Denzel Ward
Kenny Moore
Defensive Linemen
The defensive linemen's job is to maneuver past the offensive linemen so they can sack(Tackle the quarterback for a loss of yards) or tackle the running back. Their job is quite simple however they are one of the most important players on the defence. They put pressure on the quarterback to throw the ball and can force fumbles, interceptions, loss of yards turnovers. The ideal defensive linemen is powerful, fast and agile.
We recommend 2 defensive linemen on the field
The best defensive linemen in the NFL are:
Chris Jones
Aaron Donald
Kenny Clark
Safety
The safeties are the last line of defence. They exist to stop players from catching or running a touchdown. There are 2 types of safeties.
The free safety usually sits further back on the field and watches the play unfold. They then follow the ball to make a tackle and try to force a fumble on the attacking player.
The strong safety typically stands nearer to the line of scrimmage than the free safety but behind the linebackers. They have to be prepared to cover zones to stop the receivers from getting the ball but must also recognise when it's a running play so they can rush up and stop the running back from going far. They are one of the most important players on the defence as they are vital in stopping large plays from the offence.
We recommend one free safety and one strong safety on the field.
Best safeties in the NFL:
Kevin Byard
Jordan Poyer
Micah Hyde
Defensive play types
Blitz
The blitz is when more defensive players rush the quarterback than there are blockers. This forces the tackle on the quarterback resulting in a loss of yards, or a rushed pass which could end up in an interception or most likely, an incomplete. The disadvantage of the blitz is that it allows more open spaces for receivers to run into. This causes more completions for an accurate pass than other
Zonal Coverage
Zonal coverage is when defenders are assigned different zones to defend rather than sticking with one player the entire play. Zonal coverage allows defensive players to read the whole field so intercepting the ball is easier than man coverage. The downside of zonal coverage is that it causes blind spots in the field where there are no zones. If receivers run into these spots, it can easily cause confusion and mix ups on the defence.
Man Coverage
Man coverage is when each defender is assigned an attacking player to mark. This usually is called when the defensive players are dominant against the offensive players. It is used when your defence need to stop a complete pass but it is usually harder to intercept the ball in man coverage.
