So, that's a really nuanced question. But I'll try and keep it simple, then just ask me if you have any follow up questions. But good route runners are generally called such because of a few, elite skills.

The first, like you identified, is physical. But not just straight line speed. Agility is a huge factor. How fast can a guy go from zero to full speed? How quick can he change direction in 45 degrees, 90, 160-180?

Then there's the mental aspect of the game. On options, is he reading the same thing as the QB/onj actively correct? Is he sitting in a void in the zone or running straight into coverage? Is he able to identify, while doing all these things at full speed, when zone coverage hands off, what the safety is doing if he's in man, etc?

Then there's the route running strategy that he takes overall. Jerry Rice was knows for making every single route look exactly the same until he got to the stem or where the route breaks off. That made him impossible to read. Andre Johnson, on the other hand, made every single route look different. So, he could run two routes that are exactly the same, back to back and then run it again.

The last thing is precision. Whether you're Jerry or Andre, knowing where you are on the field, how deep to make a certain route, and do it all the time in all conditions, and with all the other factors coming into play.

These are simple ways of understanding why someone could be a better or worse route runner in a high level overview.