The most important position...

is cornerback.

Well, according to this statistical investigation into positional play vs team results.

https://www.ninersnation.com/2021/2/27/22304031/49ers-offseason-plan-part-3-positional-value

Apologies if this has been posted, but we do often here around this board that Edge is the most important position besides quarterback, but I have personally often wondered if cornerback is more important. Hear me out:

On a defensive line, you have several people (usually four) attacking the opposing offensive line. If one of them get whipped, you have three others who may find the weak link in the offensive line. The offensive line fails if one fails, but the defensive line does not.

Conversely, in coverage, if one cornerback fails, all fail. We saw this first hand against the Dolphins. Felt like I was watching Darnell Walker in 1999 out there.

This is why the defense survived despite losing Bosa (and depth like Thomas). And this is why we HAVE to bring back Verrett and Williams if at all possible.

Kary Vincent Jr. as a sleeper baby!

I would also like to submit for consideration that it was adding Deion Sanders that pushed the mid-90s 49ers to the top, and it was Derrelle Revis and Brandon Browner that pushed New England over the top in 2014. Heck, the 2013 Seahawks were elite in the secondary, and the 2015 Broncos had two Pro Bowlers at cornerback (there are the best two defenses in recent memory besides the 2019 49ers and Patriots, both of whom also had outstanding cornerback play).

Intuitively we've all known corner is important. Especially with respect to those quick routes which circumvent a mighty edge pass rush.

Originally posted by 5_Golden_Rings:
is cornerback.

Well, according to this statistical investigation into positional play vs team results.

https://www.ninersnation.com/2021/2/27/22304031/49ers-offseason-plan-part-3-positional-value

Apologies if this has been posted, but we do often here around this board that Edge is the most important position besides quarterback, but I have personally often wondered if cornerback is more important. Hear me out:

On a defensive line, you have several people (usually four) attacking the opposing offensive line. If one of them get whipped, you have three others who may find the weak link in the offensive line. The offensive line fails if one fails, but the defensive line does not.

Conversely, in coverage, if one cornerback fails, all fail. We saw this first hand against the Dolphins. Felt like I was watching Darnell Walker in 1999 out there.

This is why the defense survived despite losing Bosa (and depth like Thomas). And this is why we HAVE to bring back Verrett and Williams if at all possible.

I remember reading this is why Bill Belichick went after Stephon Gilmore so hard was cause he completely subscribed to the idea that CB is the most important defensive position. I am a huge CB/S fan they are my favorite positions on a football field but I do not agree with this idea though. I like you think it's more unit than individual that will make a defense great. If you have Deion Sanders on one side and Shawntee Spencer on the other your defense will continue to struggle.

Originally posted by Hysterikal:

Originally posted by 5_Golden_Rings:
is cornerback.

Well, according to this statistical investigation into positional play vs team results.

https://www.ninersnation.com/2021/2/27/22304031/49ers-offseason-plan-part-3-positional-value

Apologies if this has been posted, but we do often here around this board that Edge is the most important position besides quarterback, but I have personally often wondered if cornerback is more important. Hear me out:

On a defensive line, you have several people (usually four) attacking the opposing offensive line. If one of them get whipped, you have three others who may find the weak link in the offensive line. The offensive line fails if one fails, but the defensive line does not.

Conversely, in coverage, if one cornerback fails, all fail. We saw this first hand against the Dolphins. Felt like I was watching Darnell Walker in 1999 out there.

This is why the defense survived despite losing Bosa (and depth like Thomas). And this is why we HAVE to bring back Verrett and Williams if at all possible.

I remember reading this is why Bill Belichick went after Stephon Gilmore so hard was cause he completely subscribed to the idea that CB is the most important defensive position. I am a huge CB/S fan they are my favorite positions on a football field but I do not agree with this idea though. I like you think it's more unit than individual that will make a defense great. If you have Deion Sanders on one side and Shawntee Spencer on the other your defense will continue to struggle.

I do understand why that article was written that way. In a sense, DBs can impact the game in a way that no other position can. Take a guy like Sherman in his prime, or Deion, and you basically take away 1/3rd of the field. On top of that, they don't "help" to be great. While a pass rusher, can get doubled and schemed around, especially if the rest of the DL isn't good. Just because you have Spencer on the other side of Deion, Deion's play doesn't get impacted by Spencer being bad. But the thing is, its so rare to find CBs that damn good.

Originally posted by TheGore49er:

Originally posted by Hysterikal:

Originally posted by 5_Golden_Rings:
is cornerback.

Well, according to this statistical investigation into positional play vs team results.

https://www.ninersnation.com/2021/2/27/22304031/49ers-offseason-plan-part-3-positional-value

Apologies if this has been posted, but we do often here around this board that Edge is the most important position besides quarterback, but I have personally often wondered if cornerback is more important. Hear me out:

On a defensive line, you have several people (usually four) attacking the opposing offensive line. If one of them get whipped, you have three others who may find the weak link in the offensive line. The offensive line fails if one fails, but the defensive line does not.

Conversely, in coverage, if one cornerback fails, all fail. We saw this first hand against the Dolphins. Felt like I was watching Darnell Walker in 1999 out there.

This is why the defense survived despite losing Bosa (and depth like Thomas). And this is why we HAVE to bring back Verrett and Williams if at all possible.

I remember reading this is why Bill Belichick went after Stephon Gilmore so hard was cause he completely subscribed to the idea that CB is the most important defensive position. I am a huge CB/S fan they are my favorite positions on a football field but I do not agree with this idea though. I like you think it's more unit than individual that will make a defense great. If you have Deion Sanders on one side and Shawntee Spencer on the other your defense will continue to struggle.

I do understand why that article was written that way. In a sense, DBs can impact the game in a way that no other position can. Take a guy like Sherman in his prime, or Deion, and you basically take away 1/3rd of the field. On top of that, they don't "help" to be great. While a pass rusher, can get doubled and schemed around, especially if the rest of the DL isn't good. Just because you have Spencer on the other side of Deion, Deion's play doesn't get impacted by Spencer being bad. But the thing is, its so rare to find CBs that damn good.

Coulda had one instead of McGlinchey

most important position is quarterback.

Originally posted by Hysterikal:

Originally posted by 5_Golden_Rings:
is cornerback.

Well, according to this statistical investigation into positional play vs team results.

https://www.ninersnation.com/2021/2/27/22304031/49ers-offseason-plan-part-3-positional-value

Apologies if this has been posted, but we do often here around this board that Edge is the most important position besides quarterback, but I have personally often wondered if cornerback is more important. Hear me out:

On a defensive line, you have several people (usually four) attacking the opposing offensive line. If one of them get whipped, you have three others who may find the weak link in the offensive line. The offensive line fails if one fails, but the defensive line does not.

Conversely, in coverage, if one cornerback fails, all fail. We saw this first hand against the Dolphins. Felt like I was watching Darnell Walker in 1999 out there.

This is why the defense survived despite losing Bosa (and depth like Thomas). And this is why we HAVE to bring back Verrett and Williams if at all possible.

I remember reading this is why Bill Belichick went after Stephon Gilmore so hard was cause he completely subscribed to the idea that CB is the most important defensive position. I am a huge CB/S fan they are my favorite positions on a football field but I do not agree with this idea though. I like you think it's more unit than individual that will make a defense great. If you have Deion Sanders on one side and Shawntee Spencer on the other your defense will continue to struggle.

Yes, corner is one of the "chain" positions: one weak link and the entire thing breaks.

Originally posted by Giedi:
most important position is quarterback.

That's why I used the emoji. But per the statistical analysis, QB comes in at number 2 in direct win correlation, right behind CB.

In '81 it wasn't starting rookies Lott and Wright,
it was signing Dean a few weeks into the season that sealed the deal.

The most important as far as the outcome is the guy that doesn't do his job.

It depends. If you're a heavy man, match-up defense like the Patriots and brilliant at manufacturing pressure, then yes, investing in DBs is the way to go. But if you're a zone team that wants to drop 7 and rush 4, building a hellish pass rush is the way to go. It's not black and white, tho. You want to invest in both position groups while prioritizing one.

The 49ers' current regime believes in building their defense front to back, so the big investments will be in the DL.

The most important position is being on the ref's good side.