Julio Jones
Odell Beckham
Antonio Bryant
Mike Evans
What do all these players have in common? All were premiere receivers in their prime. Some are still in their prime. Another similarity these players share is their ability to play the X or Split End receiver position at a very high level. The X receiver position by nature requires an innate ability to win reps on your own. No scheme, no motion no misdirection, just a WR winning with a DB in his face. Schematically the X receiver position typically is aligned to the opposite side of the TE, attached to the line of scrimmage. The X receiver cannot go in motion and being on the line every rep, it sees the most press coverage of any other receiver position.
The basic objective of the X receiver position is to beat the CB in front of you and put the fear of God into the safety to the point he has to stay over top of you at all times. What is needed to accomplish this? A strong release package, beating press coverage is a necessity. A vertical threat, this can be a speed threat or a contested catch threat, either way you have to win downfield. Frequently the X receiver will be lined up on the boundary, with an extra defender in the sideline so close quickness and footwork is needed to manipulate your defender. Lastly play strength, The X receiver is often in close quarters combat. He will often be grabbed, pulled and pushed, so the play strength is needed to stay on your route stem.
The old way of thinking is that this can only be done by 6’4 220 pound power forward with a huge catch radius. Not true anymore. A successful X receiver has to win on his own, and that can be done in a variety of ways. Antonio Bryant used pristine footwork and short area quickness to win, Odell Beckham wins with great fluidity and body control, Mike Evans wins with size and power, Julio Jones is a freak of nature that wins with all of the above.
Now that we have a basic idea of what the X receiver position is. Let’s try and pinpoint who the X receivers are in the 2022 NFL Draft. I looked for the ability to win on their own, release package, speed and experience playing the position to project who might have success at the next level. This is who I came up with:
Christian Watson NDSU 6’4 211 – Christian Watson showed off a respectable release package against the top Senior DBs at the Senior Bowl. When line up at X for NDSU, Watson didn’t see press coverage a ton due to the respect for his deep speed against FCS competition. Footwork at the LOS and deep speed are 2 good traits to have when playing the X. Below you can see an example of how Watson can dictate coverage with his ability to get downfield, commanding a huge cushion from the DB.