Welcome to SB Nation FanPulse, a survey of fans across the NFL powered by SurveyMonkey. Each week, we send 32 polls to 100+ plugged in fans from each team.
How do you build an effective NFL offense? Well, it starts with the quarterback. That’s easy ... not so easy to find, but kind of an essential.
But quarterbacks, even the best ones, can’t do it all alone. They need players around them to throw to, to handoff to and to keep pass rushers off their back. It’s those players around the quarterback that can really make or break an offense.
This week we asked fans from across our network which position is the most important, after quarterback, to building an offense. Overwhelmingly, they picked a left tackle, which isn’t all that surprising.
Then, we asked some of our writers to weigh in with their opinion. Here’s what we got.
So, which position is most valuable in your opinion and why?
A left tackle makes the most sense here. And it’s always nice to see the wisdom of the crowd being correct. My faith in humanity is partially restored. A good left tackle is the cornerstone for a competent offensive line, and elite player at that spot makes the whole group that much better. Just imagine how much worse the Browns would’ve been without Joe Thomas all those years.
Buuuuut, football is entertainment, so if we’re choosing strictly from a business perspective, I’m going to take the elite wide receiver. Not just any elite wide receiver either. I want a guy who makes every touchdown fun, someone who’s going to spend a healthy part of the spring on a boat with Drake. Winning’s nice, three hours of entertainment every week is better. — Ryan Van Bibber
While they certainly have their merits, it’s hard for me to put a running back or tight end in the same stratosphere as a wide receiver or left tackle in terms of importance to an NFL offense.
We see teams win with committees and duct tape at those spots, but it’s very difficult to have success usually without a stud at left tackle. It certainly seems like the NFL is back to having elite ball-carriers, but they just can’t influence a game as drastically as a rockstar left tackle (assuming we’ve got an elite quarterback here). If you’ve got the right guy making decisions for the offense then buying him more time and safety is an extension of that safety. Give me the left tackle and let’s party. — RJ Ochoa, Blogging the Boys
If you follow the money, and the evolution of football, the most important positions in the NFL are:
- Quarterback
- Whoever can make life hell for the quarterback
- Whoever can protect the quarterback
Left tackle is the obvious answer — and, no offense to linemen, but SUPER BORING.
So I’ll go with running back here, but only the ones who can do it all: bowl over defenders, catch everything from a fly sweep to a wheel route, and help out with No. 3 on that list and block well.
Week 1 alone showed just how much a do-it-all running back adds value to a team. The Rams sputtered on offense against the Raiders (somehow!) until Todd Gurley finally got some more touches and helped open things up in the second half. The Cowboys paid the price for not feeding Zeke enough. And a season after the Giants finished with one of the worst offenses in the league, who scored their only touchdown of their season opener? No. 2 overall pick Saquon Barkley. It was one of those moments when everyone had to stop what they were doing and just marvel at how electric he is — and how much fun he’s going to be.
Much to Le’Veon Bell’s displeasure, running backs aren’t compensated at the same level as other positions. But they can make an offense so much better, and a lot more enjoyable to watch. — Sarah Hardy
After watching the Eagles win their first Super Bowl largely in thanks to building through the trenches, I’m more inclined than ever to say left tackle is the most valuable non-QB offensive position. I can’t say wide receiver after watching the Giants, who continue to have offensive line issues, fail to succeed despite having Odell Beckham Jr. Running back isn’t the answer in a passing league. Having an elite tight end is certainly great, but I don’t think it’s absolutely imperative. Give me the guy who protects the quarterback from getting hit and gives him time to make plays. — Brandon Gowton, Bleeding Green Nation
A good tight end can be the ultimate weapon; a red zone lifeboat who adds value in every facet of the offense.
The prototype is Rob Gronkowski, an athletic specimen with the size of a refrigerator, the athleticism of a track star, and the hands of Spider-man. But Gronk is also a top-notch blocker. His ability to seal off the end and negate linebackers is a catalyst behind the Patriots’ rushing success outside the hashmarks.
But there’s only one Rob Gronkowski, even if there are like five other Gronks hanging around the periphery of the NFL any given season. That leaves 31 other teams searching for that blend of blocking and receiving every offseason. Some tight ends are their quarterback’s MVPs thanks to their ability to keep pass rushers at bay when called on to stay home and block. Others earn that status by being a failsafe nearby receiving option who makes catches when downfield coverage can’t be cracked or things go haywire at the line of scrimmage.
A good tight end isn’t just one thing to an NFL offense — he’s a bunch of things. And when he does his job right, he’s the oil that keeps the rest of the cogs running smoothly. — Christian D’Andrea
Just to play devil’s advocate, I’ll go with wide receiver. I do believe there is some truth to the fact that there isn’t much difference from what an elite left tackle brings to their offense to what an average one brings. At the end of the day, blocking is really measured by pass/fail so you can get by with an average guy at left tackle.
A gamebreaking, elite receiver changes the way that defenses have to cover opposing teams. Guys like Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, Odell Beckham, Deandre Hopkins, etc. can change the course of ball games in an instant once they get the ball in their hands. They can generate yards in chunks and open up the entire field for others to work with.
This isn’t to say left tackles are unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but elite pass catching options can change the course of games in an instant. — Charles McDonald
Now, put on your general manager’s hat, which one would you want and why?