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OTA Observations: WRs coach Eric Yarber says Davante Adams is 'all that was advertised,' discusses improvement from several young receivers and more
Jun 25, 2025 at 04:00 PM
Wyatt Miller
Staff Writer
That's one reason Yarber, who's entering his ninth season with the Rams, is beloved in the locker room. But his joyful demeanor accompanies a fierce competitive drive, as Yarber works tirelessly to bring the best out of his players with his unique brand of exuberant motivation.
The Rams' wide receiver room underwent somewhat of an overhaul this offseason. Veterans Cooper Kupp and Demarcus Robinson found new homes, while All-Pro Davante Adams was added to the mix.
During OTAs, Yarber discussed some of his observations with theRams.com, including Adams' eclectic impact, Puka Nacua's newfound leadership, Tutu Atwell's preparation for a larger role and evaluations of a pair of young receivers.
Brevin Townsell/ LA Rams/Los Angeles Rams
Adams is "all that was advertised"
The football world got to see Adams teaching Nacua and company about releases during a viral clip from OTAs. His release package is up there with the best of all time, and Nacua said the Rams' young receiver room has already benefitted from his example.What fans haven't seen is Adams' willingness to be vulnerable and share his career experience with a group of youngsters who are eager to learn from the 11-year veteran.
"He's all that was advertised, everything I thought he was and what the coaches thought he was, he is," Yarber told theRams.com. "He's been a great leader in that room, mentoring the younger guys, being vulnerable, telling them about his struggles early on, helping them out however he can.
"They see a great player in Davante, so you think that he's never had struggles. And he was vulnerable enough in our meeting room to say, 'Hey man, early on in my career I struggled, man. I almost doubted myself.' And for a future Hall of Famer to say that, and these young guys, if they're starting to struggle, they know that he struggled before, that's invaluable."
Yarber expected Adams' renowned skill, but has still been impressed with his vast catch radius and separation ability. He called Adams one of the best of all time at beating man-to-man press coverage, hence his significant success in the red zone.
Last season, the Rams' passing touchdown percentage in the red zone ranked 20th in the NFL (17.4%). Adams will surely help improve that aspect of the offense, and more.
Nacua "pouring into the younger guys"
Nacua's polish makes it easy to forget he's just 23 years old. Even he forgets that he's now somewhat of a veteran in the Rams' wide receiver room. Still, he's starting to adjust to life without Kupp by "pouring into the younger guys," just as Kupp did with him, Yarber said."To have new faces, it's weird that they're asking me questions and I'm like, 'Wait, Coach (Eric Yarber), you want me to answer this for real? I feel like I still have some of these similar questions,'" Nacua said.
Between the white lines, offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said he's noticed improvement from Nacua already.
"I think if we watched his routes on air from a year ago, I think he's cutting a little bit better than he was a year ago," LaFleur said. "I think he's breaking down a little bit better. He's always had incredible hands, that's an elite skill set of his, on top of toughness and his physicality, but I think he's even more confident in it."
Yarber knows how high Nacua's ceiling is, and his eagerness to soak up Adams' teachings only raises that potential.
Coming off a season where Nacua was the most efficient pass-catcher in football last season, leading the league in yards per route run (3.57) by a large margin, according to Pro Football Focus, all Yarber wants him to do is stay healthy.
"The best ability is availability," Yarber said. "If he's available, oh man, we got a great football player here."
"We're going to see some good things" from Atwell
Atwell has put in work this offseason to prepare for what head coach Sean McVay has indicated will be a bigger role."He can do it all," Yarber said. "He's matured as a person and as a player. He's developed his skills every year, and I think we're gonna see some good things from Tutu."
He added that Atwell doesn't get enough credit for his intelligence. As a former high school quarterback and the longest-tenured receiver on the Rams, he knows this offense inside and out.
With Kupp and Robinson gone, the Rams felt the need to bring Atwell back on a one-year deal. Now in a leadership position at just 25 years old, he's committed to helping younger players learn the intricacies of the offense.
"He knows all the spots," Yarber said. "He does a great job of leading in that room and helping the young guys. He's secure in what he knows."
When asked what he wants Atwell to work on in preparation for a potentially larger role, Yarber said Atwell should "continue to have great body lean in his intermediate to deep routes." As long as he knows how to use his speed, which Yarber called Atwell's "superpower," defenses have to respect that, creating opportunities for himself and others.
Jordan Whittington "has improved astronomically in all aspects"
Whittington was one of the most efficient rookie receivers in the NFL last season, despite being a relatively raw sixth-round pick with limited opportunities. After an offseason of targeted training, Yarber said Whittington "has improved astronomically in all aspects.""Route running, the knowledge of the game, getting in and out of his breaks, his whole game as a football player has improved," Yarber said. "And more importantly, his confidence, and that's one of the biggest things."
Whittington has a chance to move up the depth chart in his sophomore season.
Konata Mumpfield is "a very hard guy to press"
The Rams' seventh-round pick has impressed during OTAs, making tough downfield grabs and creating solid separation in his early days with the team before a hamstring injury sidelined him. Mumpfield has already given the Rams reason to believe he was well worth a late-round flier.
"His separation skills (have stood out)," Yarber said. "He's a very hard guy to press. He can stick his foot in the ground and separate. What we've seen on film, he showed us we were right."
Yarber is in the business of facilitating self and collective improvement. Receivers can only control so much in a game, and that's what he wants to instill in this group before they chase a Super Bowl in 2025.
"Be the best versions of themselves, control what they control, which is their effort, their attitude, and finish, and make plays, make good plays," Yarber said. "That's what I expect from them."
