Projected US Olympic men's Flag Football team highlighted by Lamar Jackson and Justin Jefferson, including some surprises
The owners of the National Football League officially voted to allow their players to participate in the debut of flag football at the 2028 Summer Olympics. It's a really big step for the league to allow players to participate in the games, especially since there has been hesitation from other leagues, more specifically the National […]
The owners of the National Football League officially voted to allow their players to participate in the debut of flag football at the 2028 Summer Olympics.
It's a really big step for the league to allow players to participate in the games, especially since there has been hesitation from other leagues, more specifically the National Hockey League, in allowing thier players to play in the Olympic Games.
The big thing here is how will the team will be constructed? It's a little bit more complicated than you might think, and if you've ever played NFL Street, proper balance is key.
Projected US Flag Football team Olympic roster
In order to properly put together a roster for the Olympics, it's important to understand how different the game is. The main elements of the flag football game are as follows:
- Field is 70 yards by 25 yards
- 12 player rosters with five players on each team taking the field
- Start with the ball at your own 5, midfield is the only first down marker
- Run plays are allowed, but not once you get inside the five yard line
- Pass rushers lineup seven yards off the line of scrimmage
- The center is an eligible receiver
- One player per NFL team
Who would be the best players to have on the roster? Athleticism will be paramount across the roster, as will versatility. Can you do more than one thing? Physicality is much less important here, as is size. It's more about movement skills, something that will be prioritized heavily.
Who makes the cut? Let's break down a really interesting group of players.
Quarterback
- Lamar Jackson
- Jayden Daniels
I don't love the idea of having two roster spots dedicated to quarterback, but you can't enter the olympics a single injury from losing the gold medal. What we did here is prioritize athletic, accurate quarterbacks who can throw on the move and give you some flexibility to use them in other roles.
Jackson and Daniels fit the exact prototype you'd want in a flag football setting. They can attack you down the field while also being great with the ball in his hands.
Running back
- Bijan Robinson
Only one running back here and it's not Saquon Barkley. He's got a lot of ability, but his movement skills and receiving ability aren't quite on the level of Robinson, who has some of the quickest, most explosive feet in the NFL. He can juke you out of your shoes and catch the ball with soft hands. He's the guy you'd want on your NFL Street team.
Wide receiver
- Justin Jefferson
- Tyreek Hill
- Malik Nabers
There are two top wide receivers who didn't make the list. A.J. Brown and Ja'Marr Chase. Both are great players in their own right and arguably the second and third-best receivers in the NFL, but they lack the elite lateral movement skills that these three have.
Jefferson, Hill, and Nabers can play all across the line of scrimmage, juke defenders out of their shoes, and challenge you both horizontally vertically. Those elements are all important in making an impact in the passing game.
Hybrid player
- Travis Hunter
When you play NFL Street, you have to have players who can play both ways. The easiest way to accomplish this is by adding a Heisman Trophy winner who thrived in both areas.
Hunter won the Biletnikoff Award as the best wide receiver in college football last year and has some of the best instincts in coverage that I've ever seen coming out of the college game. Being able to play on both sides of the football is incredibly important when constructing such a small roster.
Pass rushers
- Micah Parsons
- Fred Warner
This is a very interesting group, especially because one of the players isn't a traditional pass rusher. However, You want players who can both pressure the quarterback and also play in space.
Parsons is one of the best edge rushers in the NFL, but he started out his college career playing off-ball linebacker. He can drop into coverage and attack the quarterback. Warner is a tremendous coverage linebacker who can also thrive as a blitzer. Want someone who can chase down the quarterback and run the pole in Tampa-2? Warner is your guy.
Defensive backs
- Derek Stingley Jr.
- Christian Gonzalez
- Devon Witherspoon
This group is highlighted by one element: versatility. They can all kick inside and play in the slot and deal with quickness incredibly well. All three have shown the ability to thrive on the outside and these three can do that and then some.
Are there better cornerbacks from an overall level? Absolutely there are. This isn't about overall talent, but rather about fit. They have the proper athleticism and versatility to handle anything thrown at them from any position on the field.
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