It looks like the "small" receiver is back en vogue.The NFL is a copycat league, with coaches and scouts feverishly scouring tape from previous seasons for the next trend that will help their teams win. And after reviewing the from last season, I see more teams relying on shorter receivers to anchor their pa sing games going forward.I'm sure fans of (6-foot-5), (6-2) and (6-3) would dispute this notion. But consider that eight of the measured 6-foot or shorter. With smaller rookie pa s catchers like (6-1), (6-0) and (5-10) expected to make an impact, the trend should continue this season. Here are three reasons why:1) Offensive coordinators need "escape artists" to defeat bump-and-run coverage.With more NFL defenses utilizing pre s coverage to disrupt the rhythm of the pa sing game, coaches and scouts are placing a greater emphasis on acquiring slippery receivers with the speed, quickne s and burst to escape the clutches of physical corners on the perimeter. Long, rangy corners routinely struggle to shadow shifty receivers at the line of scrimmage; thus, pa s catchers with electric moves and polished route-running skills can often create big-play opportunities on slants and fades.Studying the from last season, I found plenty of examples of smaller receivers whipping big-bodied corners with a variety of clever maneuvers on the edge. Using traditional speed releases, various stutter-steps and double moves at the line, small receivers were able to slip past defenders and gain enough separation to give the quarterback room to fit in a pinpoint throw.In the play depicted below, from , Indy's (5-9, 178 pounds) shows his elusivene s and burst on a fade route against cornerback (5-11, 195). Hilton uses a quick stutter-step move at the line of scrimmage to get Haden on his heels and attempts to stack Haden after the release. Quarterback intentionally underthrows Hilton on the vertical route, due to Haden's hip-pocket positioning. The diminutive pa s catcher quickly adjusts to the back-shoulder throw, makes the reception and waltzes into the end zone for a touchdown. (TO VIEW THE PLAY, SCROLL LEFT TO RIGHT ON THE IMAGE BELOW):In the play depicted below, from , receiver (5-10, 200) uses his exceptional stop-start quickne s and burst to punish the , taking advantage of (6-3, 202) on a whip route in the red zone. Edelman explodes inside on what appears to be a cro sing route before sticking his foot in the ground and quickly re-directing to the outside. The sudden maneuver catches Simon by surprise, leading to an easy "pitch-and-catch" score for the . (TO VIEW THE PLAY, SCROLL LEFT TO RIGHT ON THE IMAGE BELOW):The recent trend of defenses playing more aggre sive coverage on the perimeter has given rise to a need for more explosive receivers on the perimeter, leading more coaches to feature diminutive pa s catchers prominently in the pa sing game. 2) Elite offenses must have at least one big play threat on the perimeter.For all the value big-bodied receivers bring to the table, particularly in the red zone, it is hard to find a mammoth receiver with the speed Brandon Guyer Jersey and quickne s to generate explosive plays in the pa sing game (receptions that cover at least 25 yards). Offensive coordinators covet pa s catchers who can deliver big gains on vertical routes or catch-and-run plays, and most receivers who excel in that area are speedsters with exceptional burst and acceleration. They blow past defenders on an a sortment of downfield routes (go-route, post-route and stutter-go), yet also have the ability to turn a cro sing route into a big gain. Defenses that want to neutralize the effectivene s of such receivers must account for their whereabouts and keep a safety over the top. Despite their efforts, defensive coordinators can struggle to keep big-play threats under wraps in today's game. The rules restricting contact allow speedsters to run on the outside, and the lack of an MOF (middle of the field) enforcer encourages teams to get the ball to their top playmakers on the move. It's no coincidence that the leaders in explosive receptions are receivers who skew small. receiver (5-10, 178) has been the NFL's most explosive receiving threat since he entered the league in 2008, having tallied 48 career receptions of 40-plus yards, including 13 in 2014. That's remarkable production for someone who was regarded as too small for the position by some scouts in the pre-draft proce s.In the play depicted below, taken from the ' with the , Jackson shows that speed and explosivene s are more e sential to delivering big gains than size and strength. He is aligned on the left against (6-0, 200). Jackson will run a go-route against one-on-one coverage. Notice how quickly he eats up Fletcher's cushion on the way to running past him on the vertical route. Quarterback delivers a perfect pa s to Jackson near the boundary for a 55-yard gain. (TO VIEW THE PLAY, SCROLL LEFT TO RIGHT ON THE IMAGE BELOW):It didn't take Jr. long to make his mark in the NFL as a rookie, despite his small stature (5-11, 198). The er torched defenders acro s the NFL with his exceptional combination of speed, quickne s, balance and body control. As a home-run hitter with top-notch route-running skills and savvy, he's a true find. He can blow past defenders on vertical routes or use a set of tricks and maneuvers to get open on short or intermediate plays. Thus, he is an ideal WR1 for any offense -- but he's an especially good fit for a attack that mixes in a variety of quick-rhythm and vertical concepts to help the quarterback play at a high efficiency rate.In the play depicted below, from the ' against the , Beckham showcases his skills as a playmaker on a simple slant route over the middle. Positioned on the right, he executes a slant behind a bubble screen. The schematic design of the play creates a window for Beckham, and quarterback delivers a dart. Beckham runs through the middle of the secondary, exhibiting exceptional burst with the ball in his hands. With few defenders capable of matching his speed and acceleration in the open field, the are able to generate explosive plays on cleverly designed high-percentage pa ses. (TO VIEW THE PLAY, SCROLL LEFT TO RIGHT ON THE IMAGE BELOW):3) The emphasis on "RAC" has created roles for catch-and-run specialists.NFL teams' gradual incorporation of concepts from the spread offense has led offensive coordinators to build around dependable pa s catchers with dynamic running skills. Teams are increasingly leaning on WR screens, pop pa ses and short cro sing routes to generate production in the pa sing game. As a result, the NFL has seen a number of former punt- or kick-return specialists emerge as elite players at the position. Remember, guys like the ' (5-9, 195), the ' (5-10, 192), the ' (5-10, 186) and the ' (5-10, 195) initially made their marks in the NFL as returners.When I worked as a scout for the under Mike Holmgren, I was encouraged to look for Michael Brantley Jersey wide receivers with return skills, because the presence of such skills suggested these players would blo som as catch-and-run specialists, what with their toughne s, running ability and instincts. Former returners are adept at weaving through traffic and running through minimal contact, which is critical to picking up extra yardage on short pa ses. Thus, teams utilizing quick-rhythm pa sing games (see: the , , and ) are prone to grooming ex-returners for big roles in the offense.Having reviewed the on Brown, I'm not surprised he quickly became one of the NFL's top receivers. He's an explosive jitterbug with remarkable stop-start quickne s and top-end speed. Brown can run every route in the book with precision -- and he also displays the wiggle and burst to evade defenders in the open field. The frequently showcase Brown's running skills by getting him the ball quickly on "now" screens, and they also look to target him on fades and vertical throws whenever he attracts one-on-one coverage on the outside. Throw in a few cro sing routes, and it is easy to see how the get their top playmaker in position to deliver big plays.In the play depicted below, from the ' faceoff with the , Brown is positioned on the left, in a stack formation. He'll run a short cro sing route acro s the field, to take advantage of his superior speed and quickne s. With the falling back into a zone, leaving plenty of voids over the middle of the field, Brown simply has to run into the open area and take the pa s from quarterback for an easy walk-in score. (TO VIEW THE PLAY, SCROLL LEFT TO RIGHT ON THE IMAGE BELOW):Tate is another diminutive pa s catcher climbing up the ranks as a standout playmaker. The er just put up the best season of his career while exhibiting the same traits (running ability and ball skills) that made him a marquee free agent during the 2014 offseason. Tate ama sed 1,331 receiving yards on 99 receptions, displaying extraordinary skills with the ball in his hands. He carried the ' offense during 's midseason absence, showing observers that a catch-and-run playmaker could anchor a pa sing game as a primary option.In the play depicted below, from the ' against the , the take advantage of Tate's electric running skills by getting him the ball quickly on a "crunch" screen. Tate is positioned as the WR3 in the ' trips formation. He will run a 1-yard flat behind a pair of blockers on the outside. Quarterback quickly delivers the ball to Tate following the snap, and the explosive runner follows his blockers to the outside to score a nifty 7-yard touchdown. (TO VIEW THE PLAY, SCROLL LEFT TO RIGHT ON THE IMAGE BELOW):With more offensive coordinators willing to feature their WR1s as primary players on catch-and-run concepts, the explosive production of the small receiver is a trend that will continue in 2015.Follow Bucky Brooks on Twitter .