Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua could not have asked for a better rookie season as he went from fifth-round draft pick to All-Pro.
With Cooper Kupp injured to start the year, Nacua burst onto the scene and never looked back, finishing with 105 receptions for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns. He set the NFL rookie receiving records for both receptions and yards, and then followed it up in the postseason with a nine-catch, 181-yard, one-touchdown performance against the Detroit Lions.
Despite finishing in second to C.J. Stroud in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, it is clear that Nacua has earned the respect of his peers after just one season.
In fact, the current best receiver in the league, Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins, put Nacua in his top-five players at the position, via the Punchline Podcast with Marlon Humphrey:
“Top five wideouts, no order… It’s (tough) because there’s a lot of guys that produce. But I’m gonna go Mike (Evans), Keenan Allen… This year? This year… Mike Evans, Keenan Allen, A.J. Brown, Puka Nacua and CeeDee Lamb.”
Given the talent at the wide receiver position right now, this is extremely high praise from Hill towards Nacua. Hill obviously didn’t include himself and had some notable omissions such as Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase, but after the season Nacua just had, it is perfectly reasonable to put him in the top five going into the 2024 season.
The Rams will be bringing back most of their offense in 2024, so it will be interesting to see how much Nacua is able to build off his rookie campaign after another offseason of gaining chemistry with Matthew Stafford, Kupp and the rest of the receiving corps.
NFL stars give praise to Puka Nacua at NFL Honorsasked about the Rams rookie at the NFL Honors show and had nothing but good things to say about the season he had in L.A.
With Kupp expected back in 2024 as well, the Rams should boast one of the better receiving corps in the league after they also decided to bring back Demarcus Robinson.
