Complete Package: Becoming a complete wide receiver includes becoming a better downfield blocker.

Blocking is critical to becoming a complete wide receiver. Blocking as a receiver is about effort, position, and leverage. A complete receiver always puts as much effort into blocking as he does into catching passes. It is great if you have what it takes to run clean routes to get open and catch the football, but what if the play that’s being called is a running play? Will you do your part to ensure the play is a success and that a teammate has a great opportunity to score? Or, will you just play lackadaisically until a passing play is called? Do the latter and your value will quickly fall, especially if you’re not fulfilling responsibilities outside of blocking.

Blocking as a receiver is often difficult because you are blocking in open space. A complete receiver is under control, understands what the play is trying to accomplish and puts himself in a good position to execute the block properly. Often the difference between a 5-10 yard running play and a 50-yard touchdown run is the lack of downfield blocking by a wide receiver. Whether it is a stalk block, a crack block, or a cut block, a complete receiver is willing to throw his body around to execute the block and get the job done.

The four key elements of effective blocking for wide receivers are the stance, start, the angles of pursuit and the break down position.
 
STANCE
(Photos 1-3)

 
A proper stance will make the wide receiver more productive on his blocks and routes. The stance is extremely important in enhancing the explosion off the LOS. The sooner he can get to the defensive back and break his cushion, the easier it will be to achieve his goal of breaking off into a route or blocking the defensive back.

The receiver should begin in a balanced position. His foot position should be hip-width apart. The vertical distance between the front heel and back heel should be about the same as shoulder-width apart. The receiver’s shoulders and hips should be square to the line of scrimmage. I like utilizing the outside foot as the trailing foot. The trail foot should be placed back with the heel off the ground and a slight bend in the knee. By always placing the inside foot up, this creates one less thing to think about when lining up and will not tip off the defender to the route that you are running. The receiver’s front leg should have more of a bend in the knee. His center of gravity should be over the ball of his front foot.

The receiver’s upper body should be bent slightly forward with a flat back, forming a straight line from the helmet down to the lower part of the back. This position will help ensure that a receiver’s weight is distributed in a way that he can power over his front leg at takeoff. The forward lean in the wide receiver’s stance also allows the chest to be minimally exposed to a pressing defender. A receiver’s arm position should have a bend at the elbow and his hands should be held chest high. When a receiver’s hands and chest are high, they are ready to fight pressure from a defender in press coverage.

Finally, the receiver should turn his head inward at the ball as he should move on the snap, not on the cadence. There is really no excuse for a receiver to prematurely move before the snap.
 
START
 
Since the receiver’s #1 rule is to break the DB’s cushion, it’s very crucial to get off the LOS as quickly as possible. A wide receiver should accelerate hard off of the LOS every play, no matter if it is a pass or run play. If a wide receiver can make the DB think pass, he can more easily achieve his assignment in run blocking. With an explosive start off the LOS, the receiver can occupy the DB without even blocking him so long as the DB thinks pass. The faster and more powerful the stride, the better position the receiver will have for blocking or running his route.
 
ANGLES OF PURSUIT
 
After his start, the receiver’s angle of pursuit off the LOS is the most important part of run blocking. The receiver must attempt to keep his back side between the ball and the defender. I like to coach my playside wide receivers to block a defender head up, therefore giving the ball carrier a chance to read his block. When the defender makes a decision, you should work him in the direction he chose.

By getting an inside-out leverage block on all run plays, the ball carrier has less opportunity to read the defense and make the best choice because you have attempted to make it for him. But on the back side, wide receivers should certainly try to hook or reach the defender on almost every block. To ensure a good inside angle, the receiver’s first step must be inside. With proper angles off the LOS, a wide receiver can ensure proper positioning for the break down position and the block.
 
BREAKDOWN
POSITION
(Photo 4)

 
One of the hardest techniques to teach the WR is when to break down for the block. The break down position occurs after the wide receiver has broken the cushion of the DB or he has achieved an inside angle on his path to block the DB. The rule I teach my receivers is to give themselves at least a two-yard cushion when breaking down and buzzing their feet. It is vital that the receiver move laterally to keep his back side between the ball and the defender. The WR should have at least a shoulder-width base with an adequate bend in his knees. A wide receiver will lose almost every battle if he lunges at a DB, lets the DB outside the frame of his body, allows the DB into his chest, or plays with poor leverage.

As he releases off the LOS, the receiver must read the DB. If the DB stays in his backpedal or has turned and is running with the wide receiver, the receiver does not have to break down and make a block because the DB is occupied. Occupying or running off the DB is as good as a block, but if the DB sits or if he makes a change of direction, the receiver must realize that the DB has read run and he must break down and block. 

In order to teach our wide receivers the skill set of downfield blocking, we practice the Stalk Block Progression Drill.
 
 
4 Stage Stalk Block Progression Drill
 
Equipment Needed:
 
4 Cones (2 cones for each drill) - If you do not have the required equipment, you can use the sideline (offensive starting location) and yard line numbers (defensive boundary).
 
Common mistakes by players you want to correct:
 
- Players tend to lunge or reach for the defender.
- Poor lateral movement and lets defender outside the frame of his body.
- Receivers have poor leverage.
- WR allows the defender to plant on his chest.
 
First Stage:
 
We start off by doing a mirror drill with our hands behind our backs. This helps keep the chest up and forces the receiver to use his feet to get into position instead of reaching or grabbing. We set two cones five-yards apart. On the whistle, the defender works side-to-side as quickly as he can. The wide receiver mirrors the defender, not allowing him outside the frame of his body. The second whistle will end the drill.
 
Second Stage:
 
This stage is similar to stage one except you start the wide receiver seven yards away from the cones. He must accelerate off of the LOS and break down in front of the defensive back. Just like in stage one, the defender will then work side-to-side as quickly as he can. The wide receiver will mirror the defender, not allowing him outside the frame of his body. The second whistle will end the drill.
 
Third Stage:
 
This stage will operate the same way as the second stage. Except, in this stage, the wide receiver will use his hands to deliver a blow to the defender to redirect him or stop his momentum. When the defender is moving laterally from side-to-side, the wide receiver will jam the defender on his chest plate on the side he is moving to. The second whistle will end the drill.
 
Fourth and Final Stage
(Photos 5 and 6)

 
During the final stage of the drill, everything is similar to stage three except on the second whistle, the defender will attack the side of the wide receiver looking to gain penetration.  The wide receiver must understand it is important for him to deliver a blow to the defender to slow his momentum and to keep working his feet after contact to either keep or maintain his leverage.

If the wide receiver is too high, he must develop the ability to drop his hips to regain the leverage advantage. In order to win any blocking battle, the wide receiver must win the hand placement battle. Almost all blocks are won or lost because of bad hand placement. To win the hand placement battle, we teach the WR to lock onto the steering wheel and attempt to keep his elbows locked inside. If you don’t have the steering wheel, then you’d better be fighting for the steering wheel. Once the receiver has won the hands battle, he should lock on to the defender and roll his hips into the defender moving from low to high on the defender and trying to knock the defender off balance. This is done while maintaining his leverage and a solid strong base until he hears the third and final whistle.
 
Drill Suggestions for Advanced
Mirror Drill and Pre-Practice Drills:
 
Advanced Drill: Mirror and Close
(Equipment: 4 Cones - 2 cones for each drill)

Once your players get the hang of this drill, my next suggestion would be to make it more game-like by incorporating the Drill Mirror and Close. This drill starts off at stage two, but in this drill the wide receiver will not only be mirroring the defender, he will also be taking short, controlled steps to further break the cushion of the defender.
 
Pre-Practice Drill: Quick Feet Drill
(Equipment needed: 1 Football)
 
You start the drill with two lines of receivers spaced on a yard line ten yards apart. The receivers will start the drill with a great stance and on the snap of the ball, the receivers will sprint out five yards and continue chopping their feet while in a break-down position. The coach will then give 3 - 4 directional signals causing the receivers to shuffle side-to- side. When the coach blows his whistle, the receivers will perform an up/down and sprint out five yards (See Diagram).
 
The number one key to having wide receivers becoming good blockers is to teach them the importance of blocking downfield and showing them the benefits they are adding to the success of the offense. In order to continue to instill the importance of blocking, it must be practiced on a regular basis. By doing this, it shows that you truly are dedicated to this aspect of the game.
 
About the Author: Sean Wilson was just named wide receivers coach at Earlham University. He previously served as the wide receivers coach at Marian University for six seasons. Marian won the NAIA national title in 2012. Wilson is a graduate of Ball State University.

More on this Subject available here:

•  Advanced Wide Receiver Drills - June, 2013
•  Understanding Coverages and How to Attack Them - May, 2013
•  WR Base Fundamentals vs. Press Coverage - August, 2012