Rams rookie WR sets NFL record filling in for Cooper Kupp

With Los Angeles Rams star wideout Cooper Kupp beginning the season on IR and set to overlook not less than the primary 4 video games of the season, different Rams wideouts must fill the void.

One of many gamers who stepped up in a significant manner throughout the crew’s 30-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks was rookie WR Puka Nacua. 

The fifth-round wideout had an unimaginable efficiency, one during which he did not appear to be a rookie. Nacua had 10 receptions for 119 yards on 15 targets. 

“He was in the correct spot on the proper time,” Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford mentioned about Nacua’s efficiency. “His means to catch and run afterwards was on show. We knew that was gonna be there as a result of he is an enormous, bodily child that understands the sport.”

Rams head coach Sean McVay sees a participant in Nacua who’s smarter than the common rookie. 

“Puka Nacua has are available in, and he’s as mature a rookie as I’ve ever been round,” McVay mentioned. “He’s a bodily, powerful, robust participant. He’s received an effective way about himself.”

Nacua’s staggering totals in Week 1 set information and have been among the many finest ever for a rookie debut at wideout. His 15 targets are essentially the most ever for a rookie in Week 1, surpassing three-time Professional Bowler Anquan Boldin’s mark of 14. His 119 receiving yards have been essentially the most in a rookie debut in Rams historical past, and he is simply the second participant drafted within the fifth spherical or later with 100+ receiving yards in his NFL debut.

Nacua known as the victory and his personal private day “soccer heaven” and “a dream come true.”

Nacua’s story is actually an important one. Thrust into the lineup because of Kupp’s harm, he not solely is benefiting from his alternative, however he is also a significant asset for a Rams crew seeking to rebound after a 5-12 season in 2022.

Whereas not a prime prospect within the 2023 NFL Draft, Nacua had loads of good school tape for a crew just like the Rams to take an opportunity on him within the fifth spherical to develop right into a Kupp-type position in its offense. Nacua has toughness to his recreation, is an efficient route runner and is shifty within the open subject. He totaled 1,430 yards on 91 receptions with 11 receiving touchdowns in two years at BYU. 

Whereas Sunday’s debut efficiency might wind up being the perfect of Nacua’s profession, there’s an excellent larger likelihood he develops right into a participant who’s harmful for years to come back. Sean McVay and the Rams might have discovered themselves a gem and a keeper.