Rams select Puka Nacua (WR) with the 177th pick.

[Pupped]

Man.. choosing between Bruce and Kupp.. that's no fun.

Kupp was a couple of years older when he started, so he won't ever catch the total receptions and yardage of Bruce. He may catch him in touchdowns because he's such a TD factory.

If Kupp has one more dominant, full season.. 1300+ yards and 12+ TDs.. and reaches 10K total yards, I think he'll be in the HOF. It's hard to keep a guy out after having a season for the ages like Kupp did, if there's a very solid body of work around it.

 

[Loyal]

Man.. choosing between Bruce and Kupp.. that's no fun.

Kupp was a couple of years older when he started, so he won't ever catch the total receptions and yardage of Bruce. He may catch him in touchdowns because he's such a TD factory.

If Kupp has one more dominant, full season.. 1300+ yards and 12+ TDs.. and reaches 10K total yards, I think he'll be in the HOF. It's hard to keep a guy out after having a season for the ages like Kupp did, if there's a very solid body of work around it.

Isn't the standard whether the story of the NFL could be told without him? I don't think it could be told after the Super Bowl season that he had....(Kupp)

 

[Loyal]

Sir Isaac and The lightning bolt (Holt) are all time favs, and Kupp is their equal
train

"You bastid!" ~ Henry Ellard and Flipper

 

[Londoner]

Sir Isaac and The lightning bolt (Holt) are all time favs, and Kupp is their equal
train

None of them compares with Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch.

The greatest/definitive/seminal wide receiver of all time.

 

[nighttrain]

None of them compares with Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch.

The greatest/definitive/seminal wide receiver of all time.

that goes way, way back to the Waterfield and Van Brocklin era, LA Rams beginnings.
train

 

[simonblaze]

Be awesome if Nacua could develop into a good chain moving WR...find the soft spot in the zone coverages and maybe a lil RAC ability...Def interested to see how he develops but to get em there McVay needs to get the rooks snaps with the 1st team offense (that goes for Avila too).

 

[snackdaddy]

I've never been a draftnik. Don't follow the college guys like I used to. I knew nothin about Puka till he was drafted by us. Then I start to read the scouting reports. Watch highlights.

Sure seems like he's pretty good at the contested catches. In fact, that was the one thing that stood out in highlights. Good hands. Good route running. My guess is he coulda easily gone a couple rounds sooner if he had more speed. Could be one of those possession receivers every team needs.

I think maybe they will bring him along slowly because they have other guys further along in the system. Its possible they'll give him more opportunities in year 2.

 

[dang]

Ram

Be awesome if Nacua could develop into a good chain moving WR...find the soft spot in the zone coverages and maybe a lil RAC ability...Def interested to see how he develops but to get em there McVay needs to get the rooks snaps with the 1st team offense (that goes for Avila too).

Rams have a WR1A (Kupp), WR3 (Jefferson) and a field stretcher (Atwell). They need to find a WR1B/WR2 and a High Point/strong Hands Red Zone WR. Nakua/Skow/ McCutch will get chances to fill those roles in 2023 but as of now are unproven. It will be top of the list in 2024 if none of those come through (think Marvin Harrison Jr).

 

[Memento]

Ram

Rams have a WR1A (Kupp), WR3 (Jefferson) and a field stretcher (Atwell). They need to find a WR1B/WR2 and a High Point/strong Hands Red Zone WR. Nakua/Skow/ McCutch will get chances to fill those roles in 2023 but as of now are unproven. It will be top of the list in 2024 if none of those come through (think Marvin Harrison Jr).

I’d prefer Brock Bowers out of Georgia. Higbee will likely not be re-signed, Hopkins has the last year of his contract, and as of now, Long and Allen are unproven. I’d love to add an elite tight end to this group.

 

[Merlin]

I've never been a draftnik. Don't follow the college guys like I used to. I knew nothin about Puka till he was drafted by us. Then I start to read the scouting reports. Watch highlights.

Sure seems like he's pretty good at the contested catches. In fact, that was the one thing that stood out in highlights. Good hands. Good route running. My guess is he coulda easily gone a couple rounds sooner if he had more speed. Could be one of those possession receivers every team needs.

I think maybe they will bring him along slowly because they have other guys further along in the system. Its possible they'll give him more opportunities in year 2.

Yeah some teams I never watch until I am interested in a player we might draft. BYU is one of those. But as soon as I started playing his tape I was wowed. Question with him really is whether he is smart enough to learn everything and be trusted by the QB in year one. I think Robinson demonstrated that not everyone is going to show well in this offense. I believe you gotta be smart to be maximized by McVay. Woods, Kupp, these guys who show well are all guys who can be moved around and be trusted to be in the right spot.

If this guy learns quick and stays healthy I could see him earning a role for sure. But he's gonna need to get to that trust level with 9 or he'll be limited to being possibly just a preseason star at best.

 

[Pupped]

Isn't the standard whether the story of the NFL could be told without him? I don't think it could be told after the Super Bowl season that he had....(Kupp)

Good way to put it, for sure.

The nature of the season was HOF as well.. as the stakes got higher, he got better. There are very few cases of athletes I've seen who were as locked in as Kupp was that season.

 

[Faceplant]

I wonder if McVay changes his routine and gets our starters some reps in the preseason. Wouldn't mind seeing Stafford get some live bullet reps with Puka before the regular season.

 

[den-the-coach]

I wonder if McVay changes his routine and gets our starters some reps in the preseason. Wouldn't mind seeing Stafford get some live bullet reps with Puka before the regular season.

Interesting thought process, I don't expect Stafford, Donald or Kupp to play during preseason, but maybe McVay gets Stafford one drive, who knows? But doubtful IMHO.

 

[snackdaddy]

Don't see McVay changing his philosophy with starters during the preseason. Does it make them slower coming out of the gates when the season starts? Sometimes it seems like it. But in 2021 they sure looked ready from the start. So I don't think its that much of an issue.

 

[ottoman89]

Man, never really watched a lot of him. But he's going to be a swiss army knife for McVay. exactly The kind of player McVay loves.

 

[ArkyRamsFan]

Yeah, I like the Nacua pick and from what i've seen on some of his BYU highlight vids he brings a lot to the table. But let's be honest here I really don't see him be a huge contributor in his rookie year. McVay's passing concepts are pretty complex and it is going to take time and reps for Puka to get a firm grasp on them.
This will be a learning year for him; but I would be surprised if he doesn't carve out a major role next year.....

~ArkyRamsFan~

 

[oldnotdead]

From OTAs Puka will be expected to be a major contributor to this offense. The only real question I have is will the cheerleaders do a haka dance with every one of his TDs? Maybe he will do it as his celebration. Now that would be fun!

I've believed from the day he was picked that he's going to be a starter by November. From all that I've heard he's working hard and picking up the offense quickly. That was his rep in college and why I knew this kid was going to be a starter. He's going to take targets from Higbee and push Atwell down to #4WR. Tutu better focus on being a return specialist if he wants to stay on this team beyond this year.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Yeah, I like the Nacua pick and from what i've seen on some of his BYU highlight vids he brings a lot to the table. But let's be honest here I really don't see him be a huge contributor in his rookie year. McVay's passing concepts are pretty complex and it is going to take time and reps for Puka to get a firm grasp on them.
This will be a learning year for him; but I would be surprised if he doesn't carve out a major role next year.....

~ArkyRamsFan~

True.

Look how good Kupp is but he topped out at 860yds receiving as a rookie.

 

[So Ram]

True.

Look how good Kupp is but he topped out at 860yds receiving as a rookie.

Didn’t The Rams have a All-Pro PR guy(SC) his rookie season.

-Tory Holt needs to go into the Hall of Fame.I’ll look his numbers up,but in 1999 he had an excellent rookie season.

Torry Holt Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Checkout the latest stats for Torry Holt. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, college, draft, and more on Pro-football-reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

This does give an excellent example of what Arky is saying.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Yeah, I like the Nacua pick and from what i've seen on some of his BYU highlight vids he brings a lot to the table. But let's be honest here I really don't see him be a huge contributor in his rookie year. McVay's passing concepts are pretty complex and it is going to take time and reps for Puka to get a firm grasp on them.
This will be a learning year for him; but I would be surprised if he doesn't carve out a major role next year.....

~ArkyRamsFan~

OK ... soooo ... NOT 2,000 yards and 20 TDs???