Earth boring tools with pockets having cutting elements disposed therein trailing rotationally leading faces of blades and related methods

An earth-boring tool, comprising:

• a body including a plurality of blades, each blade of the plurality of blades extending axially and radially relative to a center longitudinal axis of the body, at least one blade of the plurality of blades having a pocket extending into the at least one blade from a rotationally leading face of the at least one blade in a shoulder region and gage region of the at least one blade, wherein between about 40% and about 80% of a height of the pocket is located within the gage region of the at least one blade;
• a first plurality of cutting elements secured along rotationally leading faces of the plurality of blades;
• and
• a second plurality of cutting elements secured to the at least one blade of the plurality of blades within the pocket.

A method of forming an earth-boring tool, comprising:

• forming a body of an earth-boring tool including a plurality of blades and at least one pocket within a shoulder region and a gage region of at least one blade of the plurality of blades, comprising:
• forming an at least substantially planar back surface in the at least one blade to define the at least one pocket, the at least substantially planar back surface forming an obtuse angle with a leading face of the at least one blade;
• forming a side surface in the at least one blade to define the at least one pocket to extend from a rotationally leading face of the at least one blade to the back surface of the at least one pocket;
• and
• forming a lower surface in the at least one blade to define of the at least one pocket to extend from the rotationally leading face of the at least one blade to the back surface of the at least one pocket,
• wherein between about 40% and about 80% of a height of the at least one pocket is located within the gage region of the at least one blade,
• securing a first plurality of cutting elements along rotationally leading faces of the plurality of blades;
• and
• securing a second plurality of cutting elements to the at least one blade proximate a back surface of the at least one pocket.