The NFL's best slot receivers, No. 4: Jordan Matthews, Eagles

Matthews is adept in most aspects of the slot, but in particular with timing.

No receiver has been more prolific in the slot over the last two years than Matthews, who was handed that role from Day 1 of his 2014 rookie season by then-coach Chip Kelly. He caught a league-leading 81 passes from the slot on 114 targets for 972 yards and eight touchdowns in 2015. It remains to be seen what the post-Kelly regime will do with him, though early returns indicate that head coach Doug Pederson and offensive coordinator Frank Reich see Matthews as an inside guy in more of a West Coast offense prototype. Matthews is smooth on the run, but not terribly quick, and he does tend to tackle too easily—an issue that goes back to his college days. But he will beat the occasional cornerback over the top, and he's got a nice sense for timing on the kinds of routes that bedevil linebackers and box safeties in the middle of the field. Most likely, he's going to be a leader in slot categories for a number of years, and in today's game, that's not a bad thing at all.