For what seems like about a decade, decision makers, analysts and pundits across the NFL landscape have steadily downgraded the positional value of inside (off-ball) linebackers. It’s time for this to stop. It’s especially time for the Packers, who desperately need to beef up their LB corps to help ensure that their expected new defensive scheme succeeds.
Now before people get their undies bunched, I am not saying that, from a statistical point of view, linebacker is more important to a defense than edge rusher or corner. The law of large numbers dictates that if you were forced to rank order defensive positions, linebacker would fall outside the top two when it comes to expected added value overall.