This story appears in ESPN The Magazine's Sept. 19 NFL Preview II Issue. Subscribe today!
Fast, quick and electric after the catch, a new brand of wide receiver is striking fear into the NFL. With smaller frames and the change-of-direction ability to win in the open field, these cats mesh perfectly in today's offenses. They have the formation flexibility and versatility at the position to win on all three levels of the route tree. They are wild-cards in the offensive game plan and pro defenses are struggling to match up.
In 2011, just nine receivers less than 6-foot tall were in the top 50 in receiving yards. However, in 2015, 16 players made the cut. With NFL defenses trending toward longer, taller cornerbacks to counter the Calvin Johnson-type wide receivers, these shorter wideouts are exposing coverages in wide-open offenses.
We've already examined how to build a perfect monsterback, the new hybrid defenders. Here's how to dream up a nightmare wide receiver:
Randall Cobb
5-10, 192 pounds | Green Bay Packers
INSTINCTS: Cobb can run inside routes from the slot, bump outside and even align at running back, so the Packers can take advantage of his evasive instincts. Last season he averaged 5.5 yards after the catch, and he has rushed for more than 300 in his career, at 7.6 yards per attempt.
Odell Beckham Jr.
5-11, 198 pounds | New York Giants
BALL SKILLS: Beckham ranked third in the NFL last season with 96.7 YPG receiving and had 13 TDs. But it's his ball skills that stand out. This guy can -- and does -- catch anything. He's an electric talent with the ability to change games.
Julian Edelman
5-10, 200 pounds | New England Patriots
TOUGHNESS: Edelman owns the underneath passing tree, using option routes, inside breaking cuts and quick outs to move the sticks. A smooth route runner with toughness in traffic, Edelman caught 61 passes last season in just nine games, with 37 receptions going for first downs.
Brandin Cooks
5-10, 189 pounds | New Orleans Saints
SPEED: Cooks is lightning in a bottle. He has top-end speed to test any secondary and an incredible burst once he catches the ball. With 13.5 yards per reception in 2015, he is a vertical threat for the Saints and causes matchup problems all over the field.
Doug Baldwin
5-10, 192 pounds | Seattle Seahawks
HEART: Baldwin is a physical, ultracompetitive player with the route-running skills to create space. The former undrafted free agent tore up the league during the second half of the 2015 season, finishing with an NFL-best 14 TDs along with 1,069 yards receiving.
Golden Tate
5-10, 198 pounds | Detroit Lions
CHANGE OF DIRECTION: Tate turns into a running back after the catch with his smooth cutbacks, dekes and double dekes; it's fun to watch defenders miss. But Tate is physical on contact, too. In 2015, he averaged 5.8 yards after the catch. You don't want to see this guy in the open field. He's flat-out nasty.
Antonio Brown
5-10, 181 pounds | Pittsburgh Steelers
ROUTE-RUNNING: The top route runner in the NFL, Brown puts on a clinic at the break point. It's all there: footwork, acceleration out of cuts and consistent separation back to the football. Over the past two seasons, he has produced 265 receptions -- the most in a two-year span.
ROOKIE SPEEDSTERS: THE REINFORCEMENTS
Sterling Shepard
5-10, 194 pounds | New York Giants
Scouts love Shepard's polished routes at Oklahoma. Last season he averaged 99.1 YPG and had 11 TDs. He has the speed (4.48 seconds in the 40) and footwork to produce immediately working opposite Beckham.
Braxton Miller
6-1, 204 pounds | Houston Texans
With one year of WR experience, Miller is still raw but stands out with his athleticism, lateral speed and versatility to align at multiple positions. The former Ohio State QB averaged 6.6 yards after the catch last season.
Corey Coleman
5-11, 185 pounds | Cleveland Browns
At Baylor in '15, Coleman led the nation with 20 TDs and averaged 18.4 yards per catch. He'll have to develop his route-running, but he has deep speed and the acceleration to run through a secondary after the catch.
Will Fuller
6-1, 172 pounds | Houston Texans
With 4.32 speed and slick route-running, Fuller can straight fly. Last year at Notre Dame, he produced 20.3 yards per catch with 14 TDs. Fuller and DeAndre Hopkins make for a nice combo on the outside for the Texans.