The Los Angeles Rams struck gold in the 2023 NFL Draft when they selected Puka Nacua in the fifth round.
Nacua slipped down draft boards because of his injury history and lack of straight line speed, but he made those evaluations look foolish after he established himself as the best rookie in his class during the 2023 season. Nacua quickly earned the trust of head coach Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford and often looked like the No. 1 option in the passing game ahead of Cooper Kupp.
The wideout ended up breaking several rookie receiving records and ended his first season in Los Angeles with 105 receptions for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns. He shined even brighter in the team’s lone playoff game against the Detroit Lions, reeling in nine receptions for 181 yards and a touchdown.
In an appearance on Maxx Crosby’s “The Rush” podcast, Nacua revealed he lost some weight in the offseason and is feeling better physically:
“I’ve slimmed down a little bit from what I was. I was pretty heavy,” Nacua said. “The game was physical, I definitely feel like I played the game physical but I feel like I could maybe lose a couple pounds. Last season, I was close to like 220 for most of the season. I was up there. I’m probably around 210 right now. I feel a lot better.”
Nacua prides himself on being a physical receiver as he likes to initiate contact and block up front in the run game. However, losing some extra weight should help him from a speed and change-of-direction standpoint.
As Kupp continues to get older and deal with nagging injuries, Nacua looks the part of the franchise’s next star receiver. The BYU product’s got an infectious personality and clearly loves to play football, so it’ll be exciting to see how much he can accomplish now that he has a year of experience under his belt.
Puka Nacua explains how he approached Cooper Kupp for advice
Puka Nacua’s success may have come overnight, but he had plenty of help along the way as he was consistently peppering Kupp with questions about how to play the position and the rest of the offense. Nacua took the time to explain that he started attending the early meetings with Stafford and Kupp and eventually became a fixture in the room.
