Chargers Slot Receiver
Tyron Johnson Among Los Angeles Chargers Wide Receiver Backups That Produced in Week 15 Win Tyron Johnson. While the primary #3 wide receiver for a while has been Jalen Guyton, another receiver who has been primarily a deep threat has started getting more looks even before the Thursday night game. Tyron Johnson – another undrafted receiver. Allen’s deal is impressive considering his designation as a slot receiver, arguably as impressive as fellow Charger Joey Bosa ’s jaw-dropping $27 million per year deal that made him the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL. His alignment splits are noticeably different from his peers at the top of the wide receiver market. The veteran was off to solid start as the primary slot receiver in San Diego with 14 catches, 173 yards and two touchdowns on just 17 targets in the first three weeks. Pro Football Focus’ Ben Lindsey is the latest to buy into the narrative. Hill projects exclusively as a slot receiver after running over 90% of his routes from the slot in all four of his seasons.
We are weeks away until training camp, where a handful of positional battles will unfold. Among the crop that will draw a lot of attention is the clash for the third wide receiver spot behind Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.
The Chargers have a few that will be in contention for this job, which include Andre Patton, Darius Jennings, Jalen Moore and rookies Joe Reed and K.J. Hill.
However, a handful of analysts have tabbed Hill, the team’s seventh-round selection, as the front runner to win the No. 3 spot. Pro Football Focus’ Ben Lindsey is the latest to buy into the narrative.
Hill projects exclusively as a slot receiver after running over 90% of his routes from the slot in all four of his seasons with the Buckeyes. That’s an area where Allen already spends a fair bit of his time (52% of his routes in 2019), but Hill should be the team’s third-best wide receiver in 2020. The veteran options aren’t enticing, and Reed is still a project, particularly as a route-runner. Hill’s underneath route running and reliable hands are made for the slot, and I expect him to win that job.
There are two things that Hill is exceptional at: route-running and catching the football.
These are both required to excel at the NFL level, and Hill demonstrated them at a high level at Ohio State in his four years, which resulted in him becoming the school’s all-time reception leader (201).
His lack of speed and reps outside limits him to slot-only duties, which is where Keenan Allen plays. However, Allen has experience on the outside, which would allow Hill to be on the field at the same time.
Hill’s ability to win underneath would give Tyrod Taylor and Justin Herbert, who both do well connecting on shorter routes, a solid option.
Winning the job won’t be a gimme for Hill heading into training camp, but the former Buckeye’s skillset and mature makeup gives him the advantage.
MORE:A few years back, when I asked Doug Baldwin — one of the pre-eminent slot receivers of the last decade — about the importance of the position, he summed it up pretty well.
“The slot receiver’s kind of the quarterback of the receivers,” he said in 2015. “More so because the slot receiver has more responsibilities in terms of reading coverages and different adjustments based on what coverages you’re seeing. It’s a lot more complicated. … You have to know a lot more. You have to stay within the confines and the framework of the offense — you have a lot of freedom because you have a little bit more space, but at the same time, your job is usually to get someone else open, or to get open on a crucial down where it’s one-on-one. You have to be versatile, and you have to understand how your route goes into the concept, based on the different coverages you can see.”
10. Adam Humphries 9. Golden Tate 8. Dante Pettis 7. Cooper Kupp 6. Jarvis Landry 5. Julian Edelman 4. Adam Thielen 3. JuJu Smith-Schuster 2. Antonio Brown 1. Tyreek Hill
It was an apt description in 2015, and though Baldwin has retired, the role of the slot receiver is quite similar to what it was then — and in 2019, one could argue that it’s even more important now. Three- and four-receiver sets are now the norm in the NFL, which means that teams will have double slot packages in which big and small receivers work together. And there’s no shame to the position — it’s not just for the Wes Welkers of the world anymore. Guys who can win outside just fine find themselves in the slot quite frequently, and you’ll find a few names that will rank highly on our upcoming list of outside receivers on this list as well.
Other Top 11 lists: Tight ends Centers Guards Offensive tackles Edge defenders Interior defensive linemen Linebackers Safeties Outside cornerbacks Slot defenders
Los Angeles Chargers Slot Receiver
So, here are the 11 best slot receivers in the NFL as we head into the 2019 season.
When watching Jacksonville’s 2018 passing offense, two things are abundantly clear — Jaguars receivers had one heck of a time with consistent production with Blake Bortles and Cody Kessler throwing the ball all over the place, and the acquisition of Nick Foles was a necessity to give those receivers any chance of improvement. Among those receivers, Westbrook may have the most potential, as he brought in 59 slot receptions on 83 targets for 646 yards and five touchdowns. Not bad for a second-year receiver who’s never had a lot of help from his quarterbacks at the NFL level.
Chargers Slot Receiver
Westbrook uses nimble feet and an impressive catch radius to make contested catches, and he has a good knack for getting open in zones. His drop rate was a problem at times, but with a credible quarterback at the helm, Westbrook could be a rising star in a big hurry.