Ranking the LA Rams roster loaded with 11 wide receivers

The Fab Four

4- If I told you that I expect a huge rookie season out of Van Jefferson, would you hold it against me? Many don’t see the huge upside of Jefferson, but that likely arises with a perception of a wide receiver on the slowish side who could not test at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine due to a foot injury.  Many will be shocked to discover that Jefferson is one of the fastest receivers from the 2020 NFL Draft. Combining that deceptive speed with crisp routes, and you’ve set the stage for a rookie wide receiver with the potential to gain 1,000 yards receiving. With limited training camp and no preseason games, Jefferson will see actual action somewhere in the game-three time frame. But once this 6-foot-1, 200-pound receiver steps onto the field for the LA Rams, the coaches will find it very difficult to rotate him out.

3- The difference between Jefferson and veteran Josh Reynolds is negligible. The tie-breaker for me is the fact that Reynolds is in the final year of his contract. Add to that the fact that this is his last chance, step-up-or-step-away opportunity to put up big numbers for the Rams.  He has some things working in his favor. Defenses will view Reynolds as a lesser threat than Kupp, Woods, or Higbee. They may even see him as a lesser threat Jefferson and Everett as well. All of that works in Reynolds’s favor. The 6-foot-3 196-pound receiver is certainly a big enough target, but his 50 percent career completion rate needs to be improved dramatically if he plans to remain in the Rams’ primary rotation. That’s what it will take this year. Reynolds needs to catch the ball.

Top two tandem

2- Rams’ veteran wide receiver Robert Woods is the most dependable receiver on the Rams roster. Standing 6-foot-0 and weighing in at 195-pounds, Woods is a gifted receiver at moving the chains. Where he becomes an enigma is at putting points on the board. In seven NFL seasons, he has scored just 25 times. Worst of all, in 2019, he recorded over 1,100 yards to just two touchdowns. He can catch the ball, and his career average is over a 62 percent completion rate. And he has caught over 2,300 yards worth of passes over his past two seasons.  While there is no doubt that he will move the ball once more, the Rams will need to solve the riddle of getting Woods into the endzone more frequently.

1- LA Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp is the best receiver on the team now. His completion rate is a phenomenal 69.3 percent for his career and over 70 percent in 2019. This 6-foot-2, 208-pound receiver does his best work from the slot, but the team will likely push him to play outside more frequently this year. He doesn’t share the lack of scoring which plagues his teammate, Woods, as he has put up 21 touchdowns in just three seasons. Unfortunately, this is Kupp’s last year of his current contract. Much like Reynolds, look for his production to skyrocket as he sets himself up to be offered a major contract deal next year. The Rams will be hard-pressed to find the money to pay for both Reynolds and Kupp, so many expect the Rams to focus upon Kupp this off-season. If that fails to produce a signed contract, the team will likely switch to Reynolds as a Plan-B fallback position.