Cooper Kupp has quickly turned into one of the best slot receivers in the NFL after just three seasons, The Eastern Washington product has certainly lived up to the hype he entered the league with, breaking out in 2019 with an 1,161-yard, 10-touchdown season.
Kupp grew up watching two very productive slot receivers, one of whom is headed for the Hall of Fame. On a conference call last week, Kupp said he watched a lot of Wes Welker and Larry Fitzgerald in high school because of their contrasting styles in the slot.
“Early on, coming up, when I was in high school, I watched a lot of, Wes Welker was a big one. I really liked watching Larry ‘Fitz.’ Larry Fitz, you know he plays inside and outside, but Larry Fitz is someone that I thought plays the position very well,” he said. “They have two very different body types. Two guys that played the game very differently and I think that’s the beautiful thing about football and really the slot position and receiver position, generally it’s an art form. Wes Welker’s going to get open on a stick route a different way than Larry Fitz is. Neither one’s wrong.”
Kupp would have a hard time finding two better receivers to watch while trying to learn the intricacies of playing the slot. It’s such a tough position to play because it requires attention to detail, quickness and awareness.
Kupp is so reliable for Jared Goff in the middle of the field, always running proper routes and finding ways to get open against both man and zone coverage.
“Understanding leverage, I think, is a big deal. And I think the more you allow yourself to use all these different tools – where if you do have someone that wants to be a little more grabby, wants to be able to body you a little bit more, being able to be like Fitz, be able to play it with your length, but use your body to be able to create separation versus someone like Wes,” he said. “He didn’t want to be touched really. He was able to use his quickness. He would be able to swipe people by. If you’re able to do a little bit of both and really keep that tool belt well-stocked, I think that’s kind of something as slot receiver, I never want to be pigeonholed into just being able to do one thing.”
If Kupp continues on his current trajectory, he’ll be considered one of the best slot receivers to play the game. And as a former third-round pick, it’s impossible not to be impressed with how he’s played thus far early on in his career.
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