Slot WR Meyers vs boundary WR Meyers

Is the veteran wideout more efficient on the inside or outside?

Versatility is a big aspect of what makes Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers such an effective pass-catcher.

According to Pro Football Focus, 50.9 percent of Meyers’ career snaps have been as a slot receiver and 48.6 percent have been on the boundary, with a handful of reps coming as a tight end or in the backfield to account for the additional half a percent.

Building on that, when new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly was asked about Meyers during the Raiders’ OTAs, the wideout’s ability to play both receiver positions was the first thing the coach mentioned.

“Yeah, I think he’s versatile,” Kelly said on May 29. “He could play both inside and outside receiver. He’s got experience doing both. His ability in terms of catching the football, his drop rate, I think, is zero. Anything thrown in his direction, he seems to somehow come down with.

“I think he’s got a really good understanding of coverage and schemes, where he knows how to get himself open at the appropriate time. And that’s part of it. Being a receiver is you have to be where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be there, with separation and catch a football, and he can do all four of those things.”

Heading into the 2025 season, this does beg the question of which alignment Meyers is the most efficient in? Or, is he perfectly balanced and equally efficient at either spot? Using some stats from PFF, let’s take a look.

Last season, Meyers lined up in the slot 34.1 percent of the time, which was up by a little more than six percent compared to his first year in Las Vegas. Granted, that figure is still well below his career average, as the New England Patriots primarily used him as a slot receiver during the first four years of his career.

Photo by Derick E. Hingle/Getty Images

That led to just 19.6 percent of the veteran’s targets (39) coming as an inside receiver, for a stat line of 27 catches, 294 yards and two touchdowns last season. So, about 31.0 percent of his total receptions, 28.6 percent of his yards and half of his scores came from the slot.

The fact that Meyers’ slot alignment rate was a few points higher than his production rate, besides touchdowns, suggests he was more efficient on the boundary in 2024, and the advanced numbers confirm that.

In total, Meyers averaged 11.8 yards per catch and 1.76 yards per route run last season. But those figures dip to 10.9 and 1.48, respectively, from the slot, meaning his numbers weighed the total averages down or were lower than when he’s working the boundary.

What’s interesting, though, is the six-year pro was just as efficient after the catch from either alignment, averaging 3.4 YAC per reception at both spots. Also, he was much more effective on contested catches as a slot receiver, hauling in nine of ten (90 percent) such targets on the inside compared to seven of 14 (50 percent) out wide.

However, Meyers’ first season with the Raiders tells a slightly different story.

In 2023, 28.0 percent of his total snaps came from the slot, resulting in 18.5 percent of his total targets as he racked up 19 receptions for 246 yards and three touchdowns on the inside. That accounted for 26.8 percent of his total grabs and 30.5 percent of his total yards, but just three out of eight scores.

Additionally, Meyers’ efficiency numbers were better in the slot, posting 12.9 ypc and 1.63 yprr, compared to his total figures of 11.4 and 1.52. Also, he had a higher YAC/catch on the inside—4.7 compared to 3.4 in total—and the trend continued of him being more effective on contested catches—60 percent success rate compared to 50 percent.

So, two years in Las Vegas have produced two different results when it comes to Meyers’ efficiency as a slot or boundary receiver, suggesting he’s equally as effective at either alignment.