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Slot Receiver Techniques

 

The X-receiver could have a option route to turn his slant into a slugo, the slot receiver could have a hitch option, the Z-receiver could have a fly option, and the running back may have to stay.

Justin Jefferson WR LSU

Slot Receiver Techniques Free

Elevator Pitch

A fluid athlete with great body control, impressive ball skills and incredible production in 2019, Jefferson has the potential to be a high-end No. 2 receiver at the next level. With some fine-tuning to his route-running technique, he can be a real problem for opposing defenses in the NFL.

  1. INDIANAPOLIS – This wide receiver class is widely known as one of the deepest in recent years. Use this preview as a cheat sheet for today's action (4 PM on NFL Network) to understand which drills are most important throughout the workout as these talented pass catchers take the field at Lucas Oil Stadium!
  2. Julian Edelman, the college quarterback at Kent State, would be the selection for Bill Belichick. But with the veteran slot receiver sidelined, the New England Patriots would turn to perhaps their best receiver this season, second-year wideout Jakobi Meyers. Before switching to wide receiver at N.C. State, Meyers was a quarterback.

Vitals

Height 6-1

Weight 202

Strengths

Jefferson fits the prototype of the “big slot” receiver that has seen an uptick in popularity in recent years.

His athletic ability is certainly apparent on tape. He possesses top-notch body control and is able to make tough adjustments to the ball in the air, helping complement his focus and strong hands to make his ball skills among the best in the class. as well as change direction seamlessly after the catch. He does a good job of stemming his routes and using leverage points to his advantage.

Jefferson’s speed is quality, as he can accelerate off the snap well and outrun defenders once he gets into the open field. Some were worried about his 40-yard dash time at the Combine, but he put those concerns to bed with an admirable 4.43 time. His production this past season was through the roof, too: he finished the year with 111 catches, 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Weaknesses

Slot receiver drills

While Jefferson proved to be capable of separating at the collegiate level, one has to wonder how much of that was related to scheme. He’s a good athlete, but his technique as a route runner could use some cleaning up. His footwork can be a little sloppy at times, and he can struggle to sink his hips into his breaks and make sharp cuts.

He was a reliable target coming out of the slot, but Jefferson doesn’t offer as much value lined up wide. He doesn’t do a great job of using his hands to separate from tight man coverage, and his ability to break press isn’t all that great. His profile is certainly one of an NFL contributor, but he doesn’t necessarily have “No. 1 target” written all over him.

Slot Receiver Techniques For Beginners

Projection: Round 2

Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp didn’t take long to establish himself in the league. Despite being a third-round pick out of Eastern Washington, Kupp immediately made a name for himself.

Slot receiver techniques for beginners

The buzz started building during his first offseason, and he delivered right away. As a rookie he racked up an impressive 869 yards and five touchdowns. Unfortunately, injuries limited Kupp to only eight games last year. Despite the limited sample size and the fact that he’s coming off a torn ACL, he’s shown enough to prove he belongs among the league’s best. Accordingly, Doug Farrar of the Touchdown Wire recently ranked Kupp as the seventh-best slot receiver in the NFL.

Jared Goff had a noticeable decline for a few games after the Rams’ bye week, which coincided closely with Kupp’s ACL tear. Farrar thinks that the two events were linked, writing that “losing Kupp forced Goff to go through his progressions without an easy first-read target in ways he wasn’t quite ready for.”

As Farrar notes Kupp did most of his damage out of the slot last season, with 417 of his 566 yards and five of his six touchdowns coming out of the slot. “He’s one of the most route-correct receivers in the game, and he perfectly fits McVay’s paradigm of running tight formations and spreading the field post-snap with his ability to get open on quick outs and boundary stuff,” Farrar writes.

Amidst the hectic nature of the Rams’ Super Bowl run, Kupp got lost a bit. Many people forgot the Rams were missing one of their best weapons, and Kupp’s return should be huge for Goff and the whole offense in 2019. Since entering the league, Kupp has averaged over 14 yards per catch and also caught over 68 percent of his targets, translating to extremely impressive efficiency.

Slot Receiver Techniques Tools

He seems to be progressing well in his recovery, as he participated in 11-on-11 drills at OTAs recently. The goal has always been to be ready by the start of the regular season, and everything seems to be on track for that.

Slot Receiver Techniques

Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks rightfully got a ton of attention for their contributions last year, but Kupp will have an opportunity for just as big of a role next year. As Farrar finishes by saying, “if Kupp is ready to go Week 1 of the 2019 season, McVay’s offense should pick up where it left off.”