The Ultimate Guide to the Wide Receiver Position
With the evolution of the modern passing game, the wide receiver has become a glamorous position.
Making leaping one-handed catches. Breakaway runs after a reception. Busting tackles.
Great receivers can do all that and more. The best ones are offensive game-changers. Coaches will develop their game plans around superstar receivers. They’ll set a goal for the number of passes thrown to them. They’ll use the term “touches” to measure how many times a receiver gets the ball even if it’s not from a pass.
Except for quarterback, the wide receiver has become the highest-paid offensive skilled player in the NFL at around $2.77 million per year. Quarterbacks are the highest paid skilled player at around $4.9 million.
What qualities make a great wide receiver? We’re going to explore that in this article so you can get started on becoming an elite receiver.
Physical and Mental Attributes
The best wide receivers are sure-handed, exemplary route runners with great overall strength.
According to Jay Norvell, who has spent years studying wide receivers and has written a book on them, a “great receiver is such a complicated combination of traits—agility, body control, strength, quickness, soft hands, physical stamina, concentration, focus, toughness, pride, eye-hand coordination, vision, intelligence, (and) the ability to conceptualize concepts.”
A good receiver is deceptive. They’ll make the defender think they’re going one way when they’re going in the opposite direction. Their goal is to create space away from their defender. This makes it easier for the quarterback to throw a pass to them without the risk of getting intercepted.
Below are 5 descriptions of the qualities for receivers:
Sure-handed: A quality wide receiver shouldn’t drop passes that are catchable. What does catchable mean? Anything that’s within arm’s reach of a wide receiver. Receivers are taught to catch the ball with their hands—not to let the ball hit their chest. If you use your hands, it’s easier to catch the ball in stride and run with it.
Precise Routes: It takes years of practice to learn how to run precise routes. A route is the path a receiver takes to catch a football from the quarterback. Routes are rarely straight lines. Receivers must develop moves to deceive defenders who are guarding them. They’ll spend hours getting their footwork perfected while working on their timing. Each route should be finished in a certain time frame. That allows the quarterback to anticipate where the receiver will be on the field and start the pass before the receiver arrives at their destination.
Vision: Knowing where the ball is when multiple defenders are surrounding you is a trait of a good receiver. Sometimes, receivers must see around players who are shrouding their line of sight. They sometimes must make catches in crowded conditions.
Speed & Agility: Receivers need enough speed to get open and create space between them and their defenders to catch the football. They should be able to make quick decisions and move efficiently through multiple defenders.
Quickness: Some receivers are blazing fast. They can run past anyone on the team. However, you don’t need to be a track star to be a quality receiver. You need quick moves that allow you to break free from the defender and make the catch.
Types of Wide Receivers
There are typically 3 types of wide receivers—X, slot, and Z. The X receiver is usually lined up on the line of scrimmage on either side. The Z receiver is typically lined up on the line of scrimmage, but often on the other side from the X receiver if it’s a 3-receiver set. The slot receiver is usually lined up off the line inside of either the X or Z receiver.
At least 7 players must line up on the line of scrimmage, which runs horizontally on both sides of the center. At least 5 of the players on the line of scrimmage must be on the offensive line. Four players can be off the line. Often, those 4 players are the quarterback, a running back, and 2 receivers.
X Receiver: The X receiver is typically your best receiver. They can run all the different routes—over the middle, sideline routes, screens, and deep routes. They’re strong because they must get through the “jam.” The jam is a 5-yard space off the line of scrimmage where the defender can block you and use their body to impede your downfield progress. After 5 yards, a defensive back must generally avoid using their hands and body to stop you from making a catch. X receivers are also usually the best run-blocking receivers.
Slot Receiver: The slot receiver often isn’t the strongest or fastest receiver, but they’re good at finding creases in the defense on short routes to make catches. They also excel at gaining yards running the ball after the catch.
Z Receiver: The Zs are also versatile, typically speedy receivers who can run deep and inside and outside routes. They often line up a few yards behind the line of scrimmage.
Tight ends are considered hybrid receivers. Their job is to block and catch passes while a receiver primarily catches passes. Some tight ends are considered more pass-catching types while others are used specifically for blocking. It just depends on the strength of their skill set. The best are strong blockers and excellent receivers.
Wide Receiver Formations
In the NFL on game day, 48 players dress while 5 receivers typically dress for a game. With 5 receivers and a tight end, there are many different formations a team can run to use their receivers. Below are 3 common formations:
5 Wide: Also known as the empty backfield because there’s no running back, 5 wide is when all the receivers are lined up on or near the line of scrimmage. This formation is used to create a mismatch with the defense. It forces them to guard at least 2 more receivers than a normal formation. The disadvantage for the offense is it has at least 1 less blocker to guard the quarterback. This is considered a passing formation. That means that teams almost always throw the ball out of it.
Trips: A trips formation is when a team has 3 receivers on one side. The trips formation creates an overload or imbalance on one side of the line. This forces the defense to adjust its coverage to accommodate the 3 receivers who start their routes from a confined space. A good quarterback will try to find a matchup that can be exploited. This is also considered a passing formation. A team can be in a 5 wide formation and a trips formation simultaneously.
11 Personnel: This is a formation where there is 1 running back, 3 wide receivers, and a tight end. This formation is common on first downs and in situations where the offense needs to gain a few yards for a first down. In this setup, teams have the option of either passing or running the ball equally. It’s considered a neutral formation. That means teams can easily pass or run out of this formation.
Wide receiver is a high-profile position on an offense that has become more important as teams’ passing offenses get more sophisticated every year. It’s a fun position that comes with big responsibilities. Your teammates will rely on you for game-breaking plays. The sooner you start working on the skills you need to excel, the better you’ll be.