It’s not a base defense anymore, but rather more of a changeup. The New York Giants ran it the most in the league last season, at 23%. NFL teams have gotten away from that defense in recent years. The safeties had to split to help their cornerback friends out, which left the middle of the field to the Mike. Ten or more years ago, in the heyday of the Tampa 2 system, the Mike was responsible for a large area on the field, as he had to carry routes vertically down the middle of the field Tampa 2 In a modern two-high world, the Mike linebacker is a protected player in the passing game. Their responsibilities have remained slightly constant in the run game, but the tools they have at their disposal to stop the run have changed. What does that mean for our precious linebackers? Their roles have changed significantly over the past few years, especially in the passing game. That means the pre-snap picture in the NFL going forward might look more like this: Two-High Trips We’re also seeing teams go into trips formations even more. This was how the NFL looked for a long time, but change is here. In 2020, we saw the least amount of pre-snap one-high defenses in the NFL since we began charting it.

We’re also in the midst of change in how defenses align and play coverage. So-called “Nickel” personnel - two linebackers and five defensive backs on the field - was the most common grouping in the NFL, as it was used 59% of the time last season, with the Bills leading the charge (89%). The Sam used to be the guy who lined up directly over tight ends and defeated blocks in close quarters, but that player is simply not needed as often in the modern NFL, so it became a Nickel player. Most teams don’t have a Sam linebacker who they can afford to play out in space against slot receivers. That is the lowest rate in any of the 15 years of PFF data. In 2020, only one-quarter of all defensive snaps were played with three linebackers on the field. As offenses have spread out and used lighter and lighter sets, the need for three bulky, Terry Tate-type linebackers on the field at the same time has diminished. Now, the Sam has been replaced by his smaller and faster cousin, the Nickel. There used to be three of them on the football field at all times: the Sam, the Mike and the Will.

Linebacker position