Is this a golden era?
For each position and 5-year era, what fraction of active players were historically elite? High percentage = historically abundant talent. Low = a rare scarcity.
Elite = ≥ 85th career percentile KV-H within position group. Coverage: 1999–2025 (nflverse era).
Defensive Back
Peak era: 1999–2003·Drought era: 2024–2025
Pass Rusher
Peak era: 1999–2003·Drought era: 2024–2025
Linebacker
Peak era: 2004–2008·Drought era: 2024–2025
Quarterback
Peak era: 2004–2008·Drought era: 2024–2025
Running Back
Peak era: 2004–2008·Drought era: 2024–2025
Tight End
Peak era: 1999–2003·Drought era: 2024–2025
Wide Receiver
Peak era: 2004–2008·Drought era: 2024–2025
Position Scarcity Index — StatVault original research. Elite threshold: 85th career KV-H percentile within position group. Era coverage begins 1999 (nflverse data start). A player is counted as “active” in an era if any career season falls within that window.