4 trends shaping the modern NFL

The on-field product the NFL offers continues to evolve over time, drawing inspiration from successful teams, college football, and even other sports.

Last year's iteration of the league rarely resembled the type of play that defined previous decades.

As a result, we examine four trends that are prevalent in shaping the modern NFL:

5-defensive back sets becoming the norm

By convention, we're used to thinking of defenses employing two cornerbacks and two safeties in their base scheme. This is no longer the case, as teams used five-defensive back sets 63.5 percent of the time in 2015, Pro Football Focus revealed.

Nickel and dime packages - formations that include multiple defensive backs- were viewed as measures to exclusively counterattack obvious passing downs. After the NFL implemented a number of rules that made it more difficult for defenders, speed became paramount.

Ourlads, a popular scouting service, lists 16 teams as running a five-defensive back set, or a variation of the 3-3-5 formation as their base scheme entering 2016. It's a clear indication that the old vanguard, replete with clunkier defensive linemen and linebackers, are being replaced by quicker, more agile defensive backs.

Slot cornerbacks used to be a luxury of sorts, but with multiple defensive backs used to counteract 4-5 wide receiver sets, the position is essential in the modern age. A leading example is Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu who played 68 percent of snaps in the slot last year. Mathieu was named a first-team All-Pro despite doing the majority of work in the slot, relying on his unparalleled recovery speed and awareness to make numerous plays.

Speed is vital in the modern age, and defensive backs are in vogue for their ability to make quick decisions and attack the field with precision.

The rise of hybrid defensive backs/linebackers

Linebackers and safeties are quickly becoming interchangeable. While each team employs different terminology for the hybrid linebacker, it's clear that the position is here to stay.

Seattle's Kam Chancellor and Arizona's Deone Bucannon are the most proficient and commonly cited hybrid linebackers. Both stalwarts possess the traditional skills of a safety, boasting excellent recovery speed and awareness. However, Bucannon and Chancellor both excel in run support and can disguise their intentions well to either crash the box, or drop back into coverage.

It's a necessary asset in today's game, and Miami's Reshad Jones and Los Angeles' Mark Barron have established themselves in leadership roles after being used primarily as a hybrid player.

There's a trickle-down effect from every successful trend in the NFL and opposing teams are catching on. The Falcons used their first-round pick on Keanu Neal, openly envisioning him to mimic Chancellor's game, while the Redskins immediately declared second-rounder Su'a Cravens a safety, after starring as a hybrid at USC. Detroit's Miles Killebrew and Chicago's DeAndre Houston-Carson were also drafted to play the hybrid role and it appears that the position will no longer be regarded as a scheme-specific anomaly.

An uptick in multiple wide receiver sets

The adage goes that the NFL is a passing league and the data is proving this to be true. NFL teams implemented 3-or-more wide receiver packages 65 percent of the time during the 2015 season, per Peter King of The MMQB. Tight ends are often equally capable of hauling in passes as wide receivers are, and the aerial game has never been so diverse.

Spread offenses are a tactic that's been largely borrowed from the collegiate ranks, with NFL teams looking to attack quicker, more nuanced defenses. The leading proponent of this strategy are the New England Patriots, often using four or five-wide sets in hurry-up offenses, packages that are meant to cause confusion and take advantage of unorganized or exhausted defenses.

Although the Patriots are widely credited with bringing multiple receivers into offensive packages with regular frequency, the rest of the league is adopting to the AFC East juggernaut. Chicago's John Fox and New York's Todd Bowles both heavily implemented variations of these packages consistently upon becoming head coaches, and the rest of the NFL is leaning in favor of stretching the field out.

Using multiple receivers is the most obvious way to take advantage of a speed-oriented league, and don't be surprised to see teams run quicker, pass-driven offenses with increasing prevalence in the future.

Quicker, lithe offensive linemen

Contrary to popular belief, offensive lineman aren't getting smaller as time goes on. However, interior players are becoming quicker, lithe, and more agile after dedicating more time to conditioning and healthy eating.

At 6-foot-6, 328 pounds, Bears guard Kyle Long is a great example of a modern star lineman. Named to the Pro Bowl in each of his three NFL seasons, Long is excelling in large part due to his outstanding speed and ability to get to the second level. In the above clip, Long mauls two Cowboys defenders because of his speed and ability to change direction on a whim, and teams are seeking players who can get to the second level quickly.

"It's more skillful now. It's changed from physical to skillful. You saw bodies on the ground back then. You don't see that anymore," New York Giants center Weston Richburg said of the evolution of the offensive line, to Pete Prisco of CBS Sports.

Speed and spatial awareness are requisite in this era and offensive linemen are no different. As offenses continue to become faster and more nuanced, players that can seal their blocks and keep moving forward are becoming more crucial to the integrity of team schemes.