NFL: Building A Team, Bill Walsh Style

The 2023 NFL Draft is right around the corner. It is actually one of my favorite parts of the NFL season. I’ve been very vocal on how fascinated I am in recruiting, drafting, and building a franchise. In a previous former podcast episode I mentioned this very thing and how I heard an interview with former NFL Head Coach Bill Walsh on how he approaches the NFL Draft and building a team. If you’re too young to remember Coach Walsh, let me fill you in a little bit so you know right off the rip he knows what the hell he’s talking about, so questioning him is flat out stupid.

Bill Walsh mostly known as being the Head Coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 1979-1988. In that time he coached legends of the game like Ronnie Lott, Jerry Rice, and Joe Montana. He won 3 Super Bowls and he was NFL Coach of the Year in 1981. The year before he took over the 49ers, the team finished with a record of 2-14. So trust and believe this man knows how to build an NFL franchise from rags to riches.

During this interview which was many years ago, but a lot of this, if not all still sticks in today’s game, but he said the first thing I do is get my Quarterback. It is the most important position in all of sport. If I can get that right and do everything I can to do that I’m off to the perfect start. The next thing he said I need to do is get someone to protect my most important position. Back in the day it was mainly the blindside, now with the movement of Defensive Ends, stunts, and talent inside, this can me moved to just get a great Offensive Line to protect your QB. After that Coach Walsh said, now I have to go get somebody that is great at going after YOUR most important guy, your Quarterback. So to him, in the 80’s it was a great Defensive End, but now just find and draft great pass rushers. This couldn’t be more true today too now that the Running Back position isn’t what is was in the game and the emergence of all these amazing Wide Receivers. Bill Walsh said, if I can figure those things out and get them right, I’m well on my way to contending for a Super Bowl. Sounds simple enough right?

1. Get your Quarterback (the most important position in all of sport).

2. Get someone to protect your Quarterback (Blindside / Front end protection).

3. Get a guy to go get the other guys Quarterback (Defensive End / Pass Rush).

Now clearly if you have all those things in place it is about need beyond that, best available beyond that, and today’s game has other positions a little more important than they used to be. We’ve said earlier that the RB position isn’t what it used to be and now the WR is a premier pick-up with today’s scoring, offensive schemes, and talent coming out. The TE spot is another one that has flipped on not only its importance, but what they are asked to do. We see Tight Ends nowadays get close to leading the league in receiving yards and touchdown catches. That’s a far cry from what that position used to do. Either way, no matter what has changed in the game, the 3 things Bill Walsh wanted to get right most in the draft still sits true today.