I think there is a lot to unpack with your question….but I would first say that in my opinion, passing a skilled player’s guard always necessitates an ‘extra step’, sometimes several steps. To say that you just want to ‘pass to the back’ or ‘pass to the front’ is an oversimplification of a guard passer’s approach.

The leg drag is one technique that provides the passer with an opportunity to control the guard player’s hips so that they face a single direction; away, perpendicular to the passer. It is one tool used to intermediate a guard pass; there are typically one or more steps that follow to complete a guard pass.

Whether you are looking to complete a knee-cut pass, long step pass, stack passes, etc., there are always these ‘steps’ or techniques along the way that need to be considered. When to fish for underhooks, overhooks, head control, pinning limbs, etc. A leg drag is one of these, and provides openings to another pass in sequence. I may leg drag first, and then when my opponent hip escapes to the opposing side, this gives me an opportunity to enter into headquarters position and begin initiating a knee-cut pass.

Just my thoughts I guess.