Bryan Walters is one of the best slot receivers in the NFL

Bryan Walters was a quiet offseason acquisition by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015 and he has paid big dividends for the young team.

Adding a veteran presence to the wide receiving corps was a key goal for the front office and, while the team wanted someone like Randall Cobb, Walters has fit the bill. Not a household name and not nearly as productive as other receivers before coming to Jacksonville, Walters has become the most dependable target for the Jaguars and one of the best slot receivers in the NFL.

Pro Football Focus recently put out rankings for the top-10 slot receivers in the NFL through Week 6 and Bryan Walters’ name was curiously left off of it. But on the bottom of the page under honorable mention, writer Alejandro Chavez had this to say:

"Bryan Walters has yet to drop a pass, is fifth in YPRR, and is first in the league in catch rate from the slot. However, he’s just not getting enough usage. He’s 21st in targets and 17th in slot target percentage and receptions, just fourteenth in slot yards, and has yet to score. If he could maintain this efficiency while securing a larger role, he could easily make an appearance on this list."

The Jacksonville Jaguars have got to be noticing this as well. He’s been such a reliable target for Blake Bortles that it’s almost a given that if he can get a hand near the ball he’ll come down with it. He has seen his targets rise almost every week, starting at a low of just two to as high as 12 in Week 6. He’s getting more involved and it’s only a matter of time before he finds his way into the end zone.

Entering 2015 it didn’t seem like the Jaguars would find pass catchers to be a major strength. Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, and Julius Thomas were all promising but now there are almost too many options for Bortles to throw the ball to. Walters is having a career season (almost four times as many yards as his last best season and triple the catches) and he’s helping this offense get better each and every week.

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