[Whitebeard isn't a special subordinate]
I doubt this, though, as he's still portrayed as one of the top dogs of Rocks' crew.
Obviously, Rocks is more powerful than him and more important than him, but besides Rocks, is there really a case for the other crewmates being better than him in any way?
Shiki was said to be below Roger by Sengoku, while everyone acknowledges Whitebeard as Roger's dead equal, even the narrator.
I shouldn't even have to bring up Big Mom saying things like how he could never topple Whitebeard and that she needed the Giants (the second strongest military force in the verse iirc) to take him down.