Runner<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\nRequired skills: Evasion, speed in short spaces, receiving skills\n\nGibbs would be an X-factor for Team USA due to his versatility. We believe he could play a hybrid role as a running back\/move-the-chains target in the passing game. There is no blocking in flag football, so we need a running back with top-tier elusiveness and the short-area speed to beat defenders. That’s Gibbs, who had 41 carries of 10 or more yards last season, the third-most in the league.\n\nTeams can hand the ball off in flag, unless they are in the “no-run zones” five yards from midfield or five yards from the end zone. The US offense could unleash Gibbs on sweeps, reverses, misdirection schemes, and option plays out of the wide receiver motion.\n\nAs a pass catcher, Gibbs has caught 104 balls in his first two NFL seasons, and he can run the traditional running back route tree (swings, wheels, choice routes) or line up in the slot for favorable interior matchups. He’s also a dynamic runner at the point of attack.\n\nAlternative: Bijan Robinson\n\n\n Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\nRequired skills: Route running, coverage manipulation, game speed\n\nJefferson hasn’t committed to participating in the Games, but he would give Team USA the ability to isolate himself as a perimeter target in the traditional Z receiver position. As the league’s best route runner, he can run all three levels of the route tree with his ability to set up coverage and glide in and out of his breaks. He can also move inside to run slot fades as a target in the end zone for Daniels.\n\nWith over 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first five professional seasons (and 495 career receptions), Jefferson would be the world’s toughest matchup at the Olympics.\n\nAlternative: CeeDee Lamb\n\n\n Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State Buckeyes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\nRequired skills: Confrontation ability, vertical element, reception radius, ball skills\n\nOhio State’s star will be eligible for the 2027 NFL draft, meaning he could have completed his rookie season before the Olympics. Team USA should be eager to bring him as an X receiver on the sideline, as he can win on long passes and be a priority target after the team crosses midfield. (Flag football fields are only 50 yards long, with the same 10-yard end zones as in the NFL game).\n\nWe want Team USA to launch 50-50 balls here, and Smith can use his 6-foot-3-inch, 215-pound physique, his wide catch radius, and his great play strength to finish. And don’t forget his explosive straight-line speed after the catch on quick plays and crosses.\n\nSmith, who had 15 touchdowns as a freshman for the national champion Buckeyes, has already been compared to former Falcons receiver Julio Jones. I don’t disagree with that after watching the tape. If he continues his ascent through 2028, this should be a no-brainer for the US.\n\nAlternative: Malik Nabers\n\n\n Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\nRequired skills: Shotgun snap, catch-and-run characteristics, vision of the ball carrier, open field speed\n\nThe center is eligible to run routes and catch the ball after making the snap. So we are looking for a stretch option in the middle of the field that can make plays after catching a pass. Chase fits because of his electrifying open-field movement ability and lower body control to cut off pursuit angles.\n\nLast season, Chase led the NFL in receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708), and touchdowns (17). He can win at all levels and create instant chaos for opposing countries on short passes.\n\nAlternative: Garrett Wilson\n\n\n Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\nRequired skills: Closing speed, lateral agility, reach\n\nThe Team USA can pressure with a defender as long as he is designated before the snap and starts seven yards behind the line of scrimmage. With elite closing speed, Parsons can devour ground quickly to attack the quarterback, and he has the range and agility to change direction to match mobile passers in space and take away their flags.\n\nParsons has 52.5 sacks in his four seasons in the league (the fifth-most in the NFL in that span), and he would gladly take a free rush on every play, as there are no blockers in flag football. In addition, if Team USA wanted Parsons to be matched up in coverage or play as a rover in the low red zone, he can easily do so. Parsons’ fellow Penn State alumnus, Abdul Carter, is a great secondary option if he makes the jump that is expected of him at the next level.\n\nAlternative: Abdul Carter\n\n\n Pat Surtain II, Denver Broncos<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\nRequired skills: Field vision, pattern matching, transition speed, ball skills\n\nThe prototype at the position, Surtain has the speed and high-level technique to go up against the best receivers in the world. More importantly, he is a long-coverage cornerback who can match patterns from the outside position, as the “no contact” rule in flag football eliminates the ability to play press coverage.\n\nIn four professional seasons with the Broncos, Surtain has 11 interceptions and 39 passes defended. He could be a defensive game changer for Team USA.\n\nAlternative: Derek Stingley Jr.\n\n\n Travis Hunter, Jacksonville Jaguars<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\nRequired skills: Field vision, pattern matching, transition speed, ball skills\/game characteristics\n\nThere was no way Hunter wouldn’t be on this list, as Team USA can easily build a package on offense for the two-way star. Still, Hunter’s primary role in the Olympics would be on the defensive side of the ball, where he can bring an element of playmaking to the court.\n\nHunter, who had nine interceptions in three college seasons, has elite ball skills and the coverage instincts to create turnovers for the U.S. He can anticipate throws and take the ball away. Also, interceptions can still be returned for touchdowns in flag football; don’t be surprised if Hunter runs one all the way to the house.\n\nAlternative: Sauce Gardner\n\n\n Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia Eagles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\nRequired skills: Field vision, pattern matching, speed to change direction, ball skills\n\nDeJean could also see repetitions on offense given his ball skills and kick return ability, which translates well to the flag football game as vertical acceleration and evasion are needed to make people miss in space. But we are focusing on DeJean as a slot cornerback for this team.\n\nYou can match inside, run with the seams and corner routes, and use your speed to change direction to limit the concepts below (especially near the goal line). His rookie tape in Philadelphia was excellent, and a pick-six in the Super Bowl against Patrick Mahomes highlighted his impact ability. DeJean is a rising star who would have three more full NFL seasons to grow his game before the Olympics.\n\nAlternative: Trent McDuffie\n\n\n Flag Football Olympic Selection: The United States Dream Team for 2028 NFL players are one step closer to competing in flag football at the 2028 Summer Olympics, following the unanimous approval of team owners to the participation proposal. Now, the next step is the formation of the national team. How would the ideal US team […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15580,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[2266,3452,64,631],"class_list":{"0":"post-15579","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-flag-football","9":"tag-jayden-daniels","10":"tag-nfl","11":"tag-olympics"},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15579","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15579"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15579\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Open Receiver<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Center<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Line Defender<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Defensive<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Safety<\/h3>\n\n\nAntoine Winfield Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/strong>\n\nRequired skills: Coverage ability, second-level reach, blitz ability\n\nKyle Hamilton would be a very good option here, although he hinted at his interest in playing for South Korea and was born in Greece. So let’s switch to Winfield, who brings versatility to the field as a multi-level defender.\n\nWinfield has the skills to create production on the ball in coverage, and can track receivers in space to limit the opponent’s offense after the reception. If Team USA wanted to match Parsons in coverage, Winfield could also be deployed as the passer or play from depth as a deep defender (remember, quarterbacks have seven seconds to throw).\n\nIn five professional seasons, Winfield has seven interceptions, 20 passes defended, and 17 sacks. He is a natural disruptor who is often around the ball for a reason.\n\nAlternative: Xavier McKinney\n\n\n
A play this team should run: Wheel Mesh (corner post alert)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Team](\"https:\/\/a2.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fphoto%2F2025%2F0630%2Fr1513203_1296x729_16%2D9.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\n\n\nMatt Bowen, ESPN\n\nLet’s organize Daniels with a concept designed to attack individual coverage, using a mesh variation with all five players on the field. Daniels can go through a progression read with Gibbs (H) as his first option on the wheel route. In a free release from the backfield, with a defender having to bubble over the inside crossing route, Gibbs could clear early for Daniels on a quick throw at the boundary. If the look isn’t there on the wheel, Daniels could work the two inside level crossing routes of Jefferson (Z) or Smith (X).\n\nThe goal here is to pick\/rub defenders, creating an open catch-and-run target. In the center, Chase would run the vertical clear as an “alert” for Daniels, who can take the matchup on a double deep move (corner post). Good luck stopping this.","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"