Puka Nacua incredible statistic leads to bold analyst claim, ‘we need to legitimately…’

Puka Nacua is once again among the NFL’s most efficient WRs, proving to be incredible value in LA

Earlier in the offseason, analyst Trevor Sikkema pointed out that Puka Nacua’s contract with the LA Rams likely means he is currently one of the greatest deals in the league.

Nacua is currently playing on the third year of his rookie deal, having been a fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft. That means he’s earning around a million dollars this season, with two years left on his contract.

The Rams are currently getting superstar production from a receiver who is earning close to the league minimum for a player on a 53-man roster. Nacua will likely sign a giant extension in the spring before he goes into the final year of his rookie deal, but right now, the value the Rams are getting is off the charts.

Puka has been one of the league’s most incredible success stories since he was drafted, including his incredible record-breaking 1,486-yard, six-touchdown rookie year. He missed some time in 2024, but still recorded 990 yards and three scores in just 11 games.

This year, Puka Nacua is one of two receivers that have completely separated from the rest of the pack.

Fantasy analysts had been nervous about Puka this season, given the complications with Stafford’s health, but so far, the production is as good as ever.

The Rams’ wide receiver is currently averaging an impeccable 4.32 yards per route run, leading the league with 333 receiving yards after three games.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks is the only other receiver whose yards per route run, which is 4.82 yards, is over 2.75, proving just how effective the two have been so far this year compared to everybody else in the game.

The fact that the two of them are that far clear of any other pass catcher in football is astonishing, and it raises the question as to where exactly you would rank Puka Nacua among the elite.

Trevor Sikkema came back to his point about Puka Nacua’s value this season, saying:

“We need to legitimately have him in the conversation as the best WR in the NFL.”

At this point in his career, it’s hard to argue with a statement like that when it comes to the Rams superstar receiver.

Sean McVay and company felt comfortable moving on from Cooper Kupp, knowing that Puka Nacua was now the main focus of the offense. The BYU product hit the ground running from his very first appearance in the NFL, and he’s never looked back.

Puka Nacua may outperform his incredible rookie season in 2025

Nacua is currently averaging 111 yards per game and is almost matching the pace of his rookie season. His 333 yards is just five yards shy of his yardage total through the first three weeks of the 2023 season, when he burst onto the scene while covering for Cooper Kupp.

Puka caught 25 passes in his first two games, which set a new record in the NFL. While some believed his form would dip when Cooper Kupp returned, it didn’t, and he’s now a superstar in his own right.

Given the chemistry with Stafford, the partnership with Davante Adams and the potential of the Rams offense, Puka Nacua could legitimately outpace his phenomenal rookie season in 2025.

This is effectively a contract year for Puka, who the Rams will want to extend before the final year of his deal comes into play. If he continues on his current trajectory, he’ll likely become the highest-paid receiver in the league when he signs.

The Rams star was named a second-team All-Pro that season, while setting a new NFL record for receiving yards in a rookie season.