Go back a couple of decades and players like Ryan Switzer really didn’t even exist in the NFL. At 5’8” and 185 pounds, it’s hard to find a position for somebody of that frame, at least once the level of athleticism took a major step forward as the game of football became more monetized and the stakes were raised.
But now players such as Switzer are simply known as slot receivers, essentially a new position—and its counterpart, the nickel/slot cornerback—that has dramatically expanded the offensive passing game in the NFL.
Now heading into his third season, and his second with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Switzer spent some time earlier this offseason doing the media rounds on the sports talk shows, and he was asked multiple times about his role as a slot receiver and the path it has led him down.