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Are Left Tackles Over Rated
Published: April 21, 2009
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This year many teams are looking to the draft to pick up that “Franchise left tackle”, with about a half dozen probably going in the first round. What makes these guys so special and how are they any different from right tackles or the interior line?
Here I will break down the reasoning behind why this position is such a pivotal part of any offense and why they are so overrated.
Skills of the left tackle
Left tackles are known for exceptional athleticism for their size and are asked to match the top pass rushers in the game step-for-step. This combination of size, athleticism and power are quite rare.
Left tackles are also known for their tremendous power in the running game and offenses will often run the majority of their running plays to the left, also known as the defensive weak side.
Why do left tackles need to be so good?
First, the obvious reason is that most teams spend more time running to the left. Another reason is the fact that they are protecting the QBs’ blind side, assuming he is right handed.
Knowing this is the QBs’ blind side defenses tend to line up their best pass rushers on the defensive right. So in turn the offenses counter by moving the most athletic O-linemen to the offensive left in order to take on pass rushes like: Michael Strahan, Derrick Burgess, Shaune Merriman, Demarcus Ware and many others.
So, if left tackles can do all this how are they overrated?
First, they are overrated in their run blocking ability. As stated earlier teams will line up their best pass rusher on the defensive right to take on the left tackle.
This pass rusher is usually the fastest, quickest and most skilled in the pass rush, but he is also likely the smallest, weakest and worst against the run of all the team’s D-linemen.
In turn left tackles rarely face power or bull rushers making their strength in both pass blocking and run blocking highly overrated.
Their pass blocking is also overrated, as most QBs are right-handed, they prefer to roll out to the right side away from the left tackle and pass rusher.
Some QBs are even incapable of rolling out to the left and making a pass.
Conclusion
So yes, I would agree that Left Tackles may be the most athletic of all O-linemen.
However, they are not as strong or as good run blocking as most think, because they are blocking the smallest, weakest D-linemen on the field.
Also, left tackles may be no more than just Tight Ends who couldn’t catch or were too big and slow to run routes.
