Jaguars Dede Westbrook ranked amongst best slot receivers in the NFL

Jaguars wide receiver Dede Westbrook was ranked 11th in a recent list of slot receivers in the NFL by Doug Farrar of USA Today’s Touchdown Wire.

In a season where not a lot went the right way for the Jacksonville Jaguars, the offense got plenty of production from Dede Westbrook. The wide receiver was head and shoulders the best player on the field in the second half of the season, leading the team in receptions with 66 for 717 yards and five touchdowns.

I have said it before – it would have been interesting to see what the former fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma would have done if the passing game was mediocre. Would he have been able to haul in 80-85 passes and step over the elusive 1,000-yard mark?

Westbrook’s season and the start of 2019 are reasons to have optimism for this passing game. The recipe has changed here in Jacksonville, which also adds to the potential excitement of seeing football flung around TIAA Bank Field. Nick Foles, the team’s new quarterback, and offensive coordinator John DeFilippo have something to do with that.

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The national media took notice of Westbrook’s progress in his second season with the team, especially Doug Farrar of USA Today’s Touchdown Wire who ranks the Jaguars wideout as one of the 11 best slot receivers in the NFL coming into this season.

"“When watching Jacksonville’s 2018 passing offense, two things are abundantly clear — Jaguars receivers had one heck of a time with consistent production with Blake Bortles and Cody Kessler throwing the ball all over the place, and the acquisition of Nick Foles was a necessity to give those receivers any chance of improvement,” Farrar wrote.“Among those receivers, Westbrook may have the most potential, as he brought in 59 slot receptions on 83 targets for 646 yards and five touchdowns. Not bad for a second-year receiver who’s never had a lot of help from his quarterbacks at the NFL level.”"

Westbrook was essentially a one-man show on the field with an all but impotent offense around him. The play calling of former coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and his replacement Scott Milanovich left little to wonder how this team would move the football. Neither quarterbacks were effective. Add to the fact the Jaguars led the NFL in dropped passes last season with 33.

That’s a statistic which must improve in 2019. Westbrook had six of his own last season.

"“Westbrook uses nimble feet and an impressive catch radius to make contested catches, and he has a good knack for getting open in zones,” Farrar added. “His drop rate was a problem at times, but with a credible quarterback at the helm, Westbrook could be a rising star in a big hurry.”"

The one thing the Jaguars can count on with their top receiver is his speed down the sideline and in the open field. He can be electric at times. And at 6-foot and 178 pounds, he is durable and can take punishment across the middle from imposing defensive backs.

The Jaguars added more depth at the wide receiver position this season with Chris Conley and Terrelle Pryor signing free-agent deals. If they both stick – with Conley almost a sure bet to line up on the other side, opposite Westbrook – this receiving corps could be an underrated group. Westbrook still leads the way and should remain the top target of Foles and DeFilippo this season.