Nerdman,
Nothing in the NFL is a sure thing, not even the most conservative of plays.
You're right. Catching a pass from 5 yards away is not the same as catching a pass from 40 yards away. If anything it's easier to catch a deep post route than a 5 yard slant because the slant is coming at high velocity from so close you have very little time to react and a button hook is designed to have the ball be there right as you turn, again with almost no time to react. If you're farther away you can watch the ball in the entire way.
Also, Jordy is spelled with a "y." You've made that mistake in this thread at least twice now.
The drops:
http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2011020600/2010/POST22/steelers@packers#tab:watch Jordy's first at 23 seconds: no defender within 3 yards of him and no hands up in the way. He just lets it fly right through his hands.
Jone's drop at 4:17: defender gets no where near the ball and it's about an 8 yard route. How would being 4 yards closer make it easier? It can't get any easier. Being that far out to the side means 4 yards closer to the line of scrimmage is not going to be a significant decrease in the distance the ball has to travel. Most of that flight is lateral on the field, not down field, anyway.
Swain's drop at 5:26: it's a 15 yard stop route that is designed to sit in a hole in the zone. It gets to Swain cleanly with an unobstructed view and only after it's in his hands and he's started to turn does a defender get a hand to the ball.
Another from Jordy at 6:18: it's a 12 yard crossing route, both underneath routes are covered tightly but Jordy's got two steps on his man. The ball gets to him cleanly, he isn't touched, and just drops it. Not really a whole lot of traffic and honestly it's a pass a good high school receiver should catch. It's routine for NFL receivers and Jordy showed that the very next play when he got open on the same route and took the ball to the 3.
That's 4 drops that have no excuse as far as defenders deflecting the ball or getting between the receiver and the ball. On only the Swain drop did a defender even get there to make a play, though it is one that has to be caught. The Jordy Nelson one you referenced in your last post was on a 2nd and 7 in the 2nd quarter. I couldn't find video of it. It was a 7 yard slant. He dropped it probably because he was hearing footsteps. Anyway, that drop came on a play that is in the range you'd expect those "high percentage" plays to come from. There are no guarantees in the NFL though. It was probably the best covered of any of the drops.
Born and bred a cheesehead