3 reasons why LA Rams WR Cooper Kupp will lead in receiving yards

More missed tackles

Once the ball is in a receiver’s hands, the average completion results in a fairly instant and automatic tackle. But in the case of Cooper Kupp, the fun is just beginning. Although he is 6-foot-2, Kupp has tremendous power in those long gating strides.  So much so that once he gets up a head of steam, he is one of the most difficult receivers to bring down.

That now you see him, now you don’t effect is great for the Rams, but equally disheartening for their opponents.

Los Angeles Rams

And it all blends together to give Cooper Kupp a tremendous 1,369 yards after the catch over his past three seasons. Of course, we can express that another way. More than half of Cooper Kupps receiving yards has been a result of yards gained after he has caught the ball. So what you ask?

If Kupp averaged seeing the football just five-six yards downfield off the hand of Jared Goff, what happens when that suddenly becomes 12-14 yards downfield from the hands of Matthew Stafford?  If the number of targets and completion rate remains the same, that will place Kupp in the 1,500 receiving yards category for 2021. Is that possible? Actually, it is.

Historically, Kupp has seen his route depth shrink over time. If that reverts back to his 2017-18 range, he can finally show up huge in the NFL receiver rankings.  Try as they might, the Rams were never able to unlock a consistent deep ball as long as Jared Goff was under center. I believe that will be dramatically improved with Matthew Stafford, and the receiver who will most likely benefit is not DeSean Jackson nor Tutu Atwell.  Cooper Kupp will dramatically lengthen his routes, and that will pile up the yardage pretty quickly.