Slot Report: Part 3
Today, I’m finishing up my three-part series discussing the role teams in the NFL utilized their slot receivers. The teams I’ll be discussing today may not use the slot quite as often as the ones mentioned last week (which you can see here) but nonetheless their slot usage can be an extraordinary indicator of things to come.
This week we’ll cover how no teams saw less slot production than the Bills, Panthers, Broncos, Vikings, Steelers, and Redskins in 2019. Each of these squads produced under 1,000 yards from the slot in 2019. That doesn’t mean we can’t learn a thing or two from their usage or patterns from the slot, so let’s dive in!
UNDER 1,000 SLOT YARDS IN 2019
BUFFALO BILLS– Cole Beasley had over half of Buffalo’s 975 total slot yards last season. I expect the case to be the same at the end of the 2020 season. Minnesota rarely used Diggs from the slot in 2019, but then again the Vikings rarely used the slot, period. Diggs may take a few targets from Beasley, but Diggs more affects Smokey Brown. Beasley should see a similar role on offense that he saw during the 2019 season.
CAROLINA PANTHERS– Jarius Wright ran 413 snaps from the slot for the Panthers last season. Greg Olsen ran 243 slot snaps and Curtis Samuel chipped in 182. Ian Thomas looks to pick up the slack with Greg Olsen no longer in the equation. Teddy Bridgewater is not known for throwing down the field. The slot could become a position the Panthers rely on a tad bit more in 2020.
DENVER BRONCOS– DaeSean Hamilton did absolutely nothing with his 309 slot snaps last season. Courtland Sutton was second on the Broncos with 16 receptions from the slot, but his 233 slot yards led the team. Sutton is a very interesting name who produced last season with terrible quarterback play. Hopes are high for Drew Lock though. Sutton is an up and coming star!
MINNESOTA VIKINGS– No player on the Vikings had more than 175 yards from the slot in 2019. Coach and quarterback are still the same. Their offensive scheme just doesn’t emphasize the slot. Minnesota could once again be near the bottom of the league in slot production at the end of the 2020 season, but that doesn’t mean they are going down without a fight. In the recent draft, Minnesota went and obtained the nation’s best slot receiver in Justin Jefferson. Jefferson has now become my favorite to lead rookies in targets. 90 targets or so have been left on the table with Diggs headed to Buffalo and who knows if Thielen will stay healthy. In Justin Jefferson’s junior season at LSU, the majority of his work came from the slot. His 100 slot receptions last season led NCAA. 17 of his 18 touchdowns were scored from the slot. Adam Thielen did the majority of slot work for the Vikings last season. It will be interesting to see if Thielen slides outside and the youngster moves to the slot. Certainly, something to consider. The slot was a weakness for the Vikings a year ago. They spent their first-round pick this year to fill that need. It may not happen year one, but I’m expecting big things from Justin Jefferson. He could see an immediate fantasy impact in his rookie year.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS– This is a team that had over 1,500 total slot yards in 2018. No Big Ben last season really devastated this team offensively. JuJu Smith-Shuster was second in the NFL with 814 yards from the slot in 2018. I expect this offense to do a total 360 in 2020. No player had more than 325 yards from the slot in 2019. JuJu could double that total in 2020.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS– Washington should once again be one of the worst in the league. The quarterback position was an uncertain one in Washington a year ago. DeWayne Haskins looks to take over and run away with the job. This should be considered a learning season for him and expectations should be set low. No player had over 175 yards from the slot for the Redskins in 2019. Steven Sims Jr. did have a very encouraging 123 slot yards over the final five weeks of the season. I’ll keep my eye on Sims Jr. and the chemistry between him and Haskins.