Is This Rams Veteran Underrated?

Cody Benjamin analyzed why Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua was left off ESPN's list of top wide receivers.

"On the surface, Nacua's numbers don't suggest a plodding possession receiver; he averaged more than 14 yards per catch in his monster debut as Matthew Stafford's top target. But there's also little denying Nacua's made a name for himself in Los Angeles, functioning more as a safety valve than a field stretcher," Benjamin said.

"The advanced metrics back this up: Besides dipping to 12.5 yards per catch in 2024, he ranked behind every other wideout on ESPN's top-10 list in air yards per target (7.7). He also ranked ninth among ESPN's listed wideouts in deep-target rate (5.7%), or targets at least 20 yards downfield."

Benjamin noted that Nacua may not get the respect he deserves because, unlike many of the other receivers voted ahead of him, Nacua was a late-round draft pick.

"Nacua, of course, has since more than justified the Rams' late-round investment. He's still growing, and he's already among the NFL's most trusted targets through the air. But if the latest ESPN poll is any indication, he'll need to both stay healthy and prove a touch more splashy to creep into the "best of the best" conversation. In the meantime, we'd bet Stafford and Sean McVay and the rest of the Rams are just fine with what he brings to the table," Benjamin said.

Earlier this offseason, Rams Offensive Coordinator, Mike LaFleur, explained what he has noticed from Nacua this offseason. Los Angeles added Davante Adams this offseason and brought back

“What I've seen from him is, I think, a guy who's just continuing to work on his craft and get better. I've been really impressed with where he was when he came back for phase one. He's always going to put in the work, but I think he was better in phase one this year than he was the year before, and just like he was obviously when we first drafted him a couple of years ago. So for him, just getting into the best physical shape that he possibly can so he can go have the best possible year he can," LaFleur said.

"That's all these guys. That's what we're doing right now, building foundations not just mental, schematic, not just relationships, but physically so that these guys can go into the summer in the best shape possible, continue that trend because that's a scary 40 days for anybody so that when they come back in August, they're in tip top shape, ready to attack it, build to it and then get to September.”

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