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The NFL's current "chicken or egg" question is whether slot receivers or slot defenders became more important first. If you don't have a starting-quality third receiver and third pass defender, you are very much behind the proverbial eight ball. When facing teams like the Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers, with their frequent dual-slot receiver formations, you better have a cornerback or safety who can line up in a dime defense and make things happen against that second slot receiver.

Advanced and enhanced receiver formations are why the importance of the slot defender role has grown exponentially over the last decade. Back in the "old days"—say, five to 10 years ago—a slot cornerback was generally a smaller player with some speed, but not enough size to be a starter on the outside against physically dominant receivers.

Now, that paradigm has shifted: NFL teams seek out a variety of players equipped to adjust to the specific demands of the slot position, and many outside cornerbacks find moving inside to be quite difficult.

The modern slot defender must be able to play off coverage very well. He must adjust and align immediately to option routes, when receivers change their patterns based on the defender's position. He must be strong and aggressive enough to hold up against the run and blitz successfully, but quick enough to follow a speed receiver 40 yards up the seam, or convert his coverage when a running back rolls out of the backfield and into the formation.

It's a very tough job, which is why in the 2018 NFL1000 positional rankings, we've given specific rankings and scouting reports to both slot receivers and slot defenders. NFL1000 Defensive Backs Scout Ian Wharton has graded and ranked all defenders who play primarily in the slot, based on the following criteria:

Coverage: 20 points. How well does this player take his receiver through the route? Is he equally adept at man, zone, and pattern-reading coverage? How well does he backpedal and turn? Can he adjust to option routes on the fly?

Reaction: 30 points. Does this player have the reactive intelligence to run a receiver's route with him, or does he waste steps through the route? How well does he time his jumps, deflections and interceptions? How many opportunities does he miss or make by being in the right place, or one step out of line?

Recovery: 25 points. If a receiver uses a step to get away from this defender, how well and how quickly does he recover? Does he lose his receivers on comebacks and cuts? Is he too aggressive to match a more elusive receiver step-for-step, and how many steps does it take to get back on track if he does make a mistake?

Tackling: 15 points. After a catch is made, how often does this player allow yards after the catch because he can't close and wrap up? Is he a useful force defender against the run, and if so, how quickly does he adapt from coverage to run defense? Is he a good blitzer?

Position Value: 8 points. A score that takes into account the importance of the position when comparing scores across other spots on the defense. Slot cornerbacks are given 8/10 points across the board, making their top possible grade 98.

Make sure to check out all of the NFL1000 rankings from the 2017 season.