It’s hard to tell exactly where the trend began. Some say it started back in the days of Doug Plank and Buddy Ryan’s 46 defense, while others would cite the Vikings’ Joey Browner as a primary agent of change. Bryan Scott is a more modern-day name younger NFL fans may identify with, while Troy Polamalu is more widely recognized for his contributions to evolving defensive schemes.
Whoever truly initiated the shift at the professional level, the widespread growth of linebacker/safety hybrids among NFL defenses is becoming prevalent across the league heading into the 2016 season.
Deone Bucannon, Mark Barron, Reshad Jones, Jaquiski Tartt and others typically dominate hybrid defensive back discussions, although each of these players is actually tasked differently within their defensive scheme. Bucannon and Barron were safeties early in their careers, but now are almost exclusively linebackers, and can be solely identified as such despite the common perception. Tartt could be trending that way, while Jones is simply a safety who thrives in a box-heavy role, similar to how Polamalu was typically deployed in Pittsburgh. Kam Chancellor is another safety with the ability to play all over a defensive front due to his wide array of skills at the position.
Details of the prototype aside, the evidence is clear that the NFL values the 
versatility of players who have the size, strength and instincts to play the run, but also the quickness and athleticism to mirror offensive skill players in man coverage. Tartt, Bucannon, Ibraheim Campbell and others were acquired in recent years with their dual abilities in mind, while the 2016 draft saw talents like Su’a Cravens, Miles Killebrew, Kavon Frazier, Derrick Kindred and perhaps even K.J. Dillon brought in for many of the same reasons.
According to Pro Football Focus, NFL defenses were in nickel packages (five defensive backs) over 63 percent of the time during the 2015 season. That percentage has risen significantly every year since 2008, when nickel was utilized just 43.4 percent of the time. As NFL offenses move to more 11 personnel looks, tight ends and running backs that can split out wide, and shotgun-heavy formations, defenses’ abilities to match up appropriately must be at an all-time high.
Thus, the ability to stay in a “base defense” while moving a linebacker/safety out to match up against a Rob Gronkowski or a Jimmy Graham is an important adjustment for a defense to be able to make. In an age where offenses are looking to exploit the first mismatch they can create, a dynamic hybrid defender can eliminate disadvantageous situations quickly.
College defenses have also done a great job of adequately preparing players
for this kind of a role. The “star” position now exists in several collegiate defensive schemes (Florida State, Louisville) a spot that has been commonly defined as a hybrid cornerback/safety/linebacker role with a wide array of responsibilities. Former Florida State defender Jalen Ramsey manned the star spot for the Seminoles during his career, covering the slot, coming off the edge as a blitzer and handling a variety of additional duties before moving on to the NFL.
Luckily for NFL defenses, the 2017 class is full of box safeties and hybrid defenders. Michigan is reportedly moving athletic phenom Jabrill Peppers to 
a linebacker/box safety role this season, despite the fact that the heralded recruit originally came to the Wolverines as a corner. Ole Miss defender Tony Conner plays the “huskie” position in the Rebels’ defensive scheme, a role that basically mirrors the responsibilities of the star position. Louisville’s Josh Harvey-Clemons has played star in the past, in addition to his time at corner and safety. Arizona’s Paul Magloire could fill more of a true faux-linebacker role in a defense at 6-1, 220 pounds of pure muscle. Jamal Adams isn’t even a true box safety right now, but his size, physicality and closing burst could push teams to use him in more of a dual role at the next level.
There will be others that burst onto the national radar as the season progresses, and you can be sure the NFL will be interested. In an age of versatility at the professional level, acquiring hybrid defenders is a trend that will likely continue to grow to keep pace with the explosiveness of NFL offenses.
