With the NFL morphing more and more into a league driven by the abilities of its quarterbacks and wide receivers, the need to put pressure on those signal callers both in the pocket and when the ball is in the air is essential.
Pass rushers Von Miller and Demarcus Ware bookended Denver's defense on the way to a victory in Super Bowl 50 over the Carolina Panthers, athletic players who can get after and take down quarterbacks like Cam Newton who can move in and out of the pocket. Ware and Miller weren't asked to drop in pass coverage much, but in today's NFL, outside linebackers must have the ability to do both.