In the 2019 NFL season, per Sports Info Solutions, there were 19,933 total quarterback dropbacks. Against those dropbacks, NFL defenses put four defensive backs on the field just 18% of the time (3,579 snaps), while nickel defense (with five defensive backs) ruled the league by far with 59% of all snaps (11,780). And if you want to know how much the NFL isn't a base defense league anymore, consider this: Defenses lined up in dime coverage (six defensive backs on the field) on 20.9% of total dropbacks (4,091), which means that teams played more dime defense than base defense. The Seahawks were the only team to play base defense more than 50% of the time (67%), and the Cardinals finished second at 37%.
So, which slot defenders were the most effective and valuable to their teams in 2019, and thus should be set up to do the same in 2020? With help from Pro Football Focus' metrics, and a whole lot of tape study, here's one list. To avoid small sample-size results, each of these defenders played at least 50% of their snaps in the slot.
- The 2020 NFL Draft is loaded with talent that could be franchise-changing. The wide receiver class is particularly deep, in fact it could be one of the best wideout classes ever.
- Best College Slot Receiver 2020, tax poker rule, grand casino hammamet tunisia, auguste perret casino st malo.
All this is to say that unless you're the Seahawks, you'd better have some top-level slot defenders if you want to put a credible pass defense out there in a league where offenses are implementing more kinds of receiver sets and route combinations than ever before.
And it's not as if the skill sets required to be a slot defender are the same as those for an outside cornerback. You might be up against a 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end on first down who can body you right out of the paint, and on the next play, you may have to deal with a small, speedy option-route receiver whose job is to juke you right out of your shoes. And as Richard Sherman once told me in his Seattle days, the thing about playing outside cornerback is that the boundary is your friend. That's not the case when you're in the slot, where you're defending in space pretty much all the time.
So, which slot defenders were the most effective and valuable to their teams in 2019, and thus should be set up to do the same in 2020? With help from Pro Football Focus' metrics, and a whole lot of tape study, here's one list. To avoid small sample-size results, each of these defenders played at least 50% of their snaps in the slot. Ip casino biloxi mississippi swimming pool.
Mike Hilton | Chris Harris Jr. | Jourdan Lewis | Tramon Williams | Mackensie Alexander | Nickell Robey-Coleman | Marlon Humphrey | D.J. Hayden | Brian Poole | K'Waun Williams | Tyrann Mathieu
The Miami Dolphins' wide receiver room is one of the team's more well established positions. Miami has plenty of size in the group, a fair amount of depth with the likes of Allen Hurns, Albert Wilson, Isaiah Ford and others on the roster and the group finally saw the big breakout the team was hoping for from DeVante Parker.
But Albert Wilson's status with Miami is up in the air thanks to a sizable cap hit in 2020 and an underwhelming 2019 season. As this Dolphins team looks to remodel to offense to fit offensive coordinator Chan Gailey's ideals, this team may be looking to find a new starter in the slot.
Who are some of the prime candidates?
Dolphins' Jakeem Grant
Cost: Nothing
Slot Receivers In The Nfl
Let's start with the good: Grant is an explosive athlete, a good route runner and a natural playmaker. The bad? He's failed to finish the last two seasons with durability concerns and needs limited touches to protect him from breaking down over the course of 16 games.
Grant is a logical choice because he's on the roster and was recently given an extension. But entrusting him with a primary role is risky business. Primadonna casino reno nevada.
Free agent Rashard Higgins
Cost: Short-term 'prove it' deal
Higgins found success in 2018 with the Browns before being pushed to the fringes of the team in 2019 — he logged nearly 600 receiving yards in 2018. Higgins' route running skills are a viable asset and, if he's left in the slot, he should routinely find separation. The concern here? There's not a lot of long speed and Miami's slot will ideally have explosive qualities.
Florida' Van Jefferson
Cost: 56th/70th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft
Jefferson catches the ball really well in traffic, which will make him an asset in Miami's horizontal spread attack under Gailey. With a heavy down hill run presence, the Dolphins stand to flourish from putting LBs in a bind and taking advantage of spacing issues to hit the defense over the middle. Jefferson frequently ate as a middle of the field receiver with the Gators and showed off some impressive route running at January's Senior Bowl.
- The 2020 NFL Draft is loaded with talent that could be franchise-changing. The wide receiver class is particularly deep, in fact it could be one of the best wideout classes ever.
- Best College Slot Receiver 2020, tax poker rule, grand casino hammamet tunisia, auguste perret casino st malo.
All this is to say that unless you're the Seahawks, you'd better have some top-level slot defenders if you want to put a credible pass defense out there in a league where offenses are implementing more kinds of receiver sets and route combinations than ever before.
And it's not as if the skill sets required to be a slot defender are the same as those for an outside cornerback. You might be up against a 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end on first down who can body you right out of the paint, and on the next play, you may have to deal with a small, speedy option-route receiver whose job is to juke you right out of your shoes. And as Richard Sherman once told me in his Seattle days, the thing about playing outside cornerback is that the boundary is your friend. That's not the case when you're in the slot, where you're defending in space pretty much all the time.
So, which slot defenders were the most effective and valuable to their teams in 2019, and thus should be set up to do the same in 2020? With help from Pro Football Focus' metrics, and a whole lot of tape study, here's one list. To avoid small sample-size results, each of these defenders played at least 50% of their snaps in the slot. Ip casino biloxi mississippi swimming pool.
Mike Hilton | Chris Harris Jr. | Jourdan Lewis | Tramon Williams | Mackensie Alexander | Nickell Robey-Coleman | Marlon Humphrey | D.J. Hayden | Brian Poole | K'Waun Williams | Tyrann Mathieu
The Miami Dolphins' wide receiver room is one of the team's more well established positions. Miami has plenty of size in the group, a fair amount of depth with the likes of Allen Hurns, Albert Wilson, Isaiah Ford and others on the roster and the group finally saw the big breakout the team was hoping for from DeVante Parker.
But Albert Wilson's status with Miami is up in the air thanks to a sizable cap hit in 2020 and an underwhelming 2019 season. As this Dolphins team looks to remodel to offense to fit offensive coordinator Chan Gailey's ideals, this team may be looking to find a new starter in the slot.
Who are some of the prime candidates?
Dolphins' Jakeem Grant
Cost: Nothing
Slot Receivers In The Nfl
Let's start with the good: Grant is an explosive athlete, a good route runner and a natural playmaker. The bad? He's failed to finish the last two seasons with durability concerns and needs limited touches to protect him from breaking down over the course of 16 games.
Grant is a logical choice because he's on the roster and was recently given an extension. But entrusting him with a primary role is risky business. Primadonna casino reno nevada.
Free agent Rashard Higgins
Cost: Short-term 'prove it' deal
Higgins found success in 2018 with the Browns before being pushed to the fringes of the team in 2019 — he logged nearly 600 receiving yards in 2018. Higgins' route running skills are a viable asset and, if he's left in the slot, he should routinely find separation. The concern here? There's not a lot of long speed and Miami's slot will ideally have explosive qualities.
Florida' Van Jefferson
Cost: 56th/70th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft
Jefferson catches the ball really well in traffic, which will make him an asset in Miami's horizontal spread attack under Gailey. With a heavy down hill run presence, the Dolphins stand to flourish from putting LBs in a bind and taking advantage of spacing issues to hit the defense over the middle. Jefferson frequently ate as a middle of the field receiver with the Gators and showed off some impressive route running at January's Senior Bowl.
Best College Slot Receivers 2020 2021
Arizona State's Brandon Aiyuk
Cost: 56th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft
Best College Slot Receivers 2020 Nfl
Aiyuk thrived at Arizona State as a tunnel screen and in traffic receiver — he's got a large catch radius, explosive qualities and the ability to force a missed tackle and make house calls in the quick game. He feels like a strong fit for what Miami is looking to do and if the Dolphins feel an early investment is necessary to upgrade the slot, he's a name that would add another dynamic to the receiver group with his twitchiness.
Best College Slot Receivers 2020 Draft
Dolphins' Albert Wilson
Cost: Over $10.5M in cap in 2020
Best College Slot Receivers 2020 Stats
If the Dolphins choose to stand pat, they'll eat eight figures in cap space, $9.5M of which is easily avoidable by cutting Wilson. But if Miami feels Wilson has a reasonable chance of returning to form and getting the quickness back that he lost after a 2018 hip injury, they have the cap space to eat the money.
