Every draft season there are a handful of prospective defensive players who don’t fit into traditional NFL positional roles. In the past ten years, these “hybrid” types of players have taken on important roles in the ever-changing pro game.
Defenses in the NFL have been forced to re-think their strategies, in recent years, to counter the league’s move towards spreading the field, four wide receiver sets, and quick passing schemes. The old size-and-strength model has given way to smaller, faster players who can handle the speed and playmaking abilities of modern skill position athletes.
Every NFL team is searching for defensive draftees that can match up with these wide-open offenses.