CBS NFL expert views this Rams player among Top-5 non-QBs in NFL Playoffs

The LA Rams have several offensive weapons who can step up to carry the team to victory. But only one offensive player on the Rams roster has been singled out as belonging among a select group of non-quarterbacks who can make significant impacts in the upcoming 2025 NFL Playoffs. Would you be shocked to learn that player is second-year wide receiver Puka Nacua?

I'm not.

Second-year WR Puka Nacua is one such player. And he is so good that he was named among the Five Most Important NFC non-quarterbacks in the playoffs by CBS Sports writer Jeff Kerr. Kerr is a solid writer and social media follow, and often engages Rams fans and the players in solid articles that feature Rams players and achievements. In this article, Kerr nails it.

While many NFL analysts key on quarterbacks exclusively, Kerr approaches the postseason with a bit of thinking outside-the-box focus. He gets it right with the LA Rams, featuring Nacua as one of the most dangerous weapons playing in the postseason. In just 11 games this season, Nacua put up 990 yards, three touchdowns, 12.5 yards per reception, and a catch percentage of 74.3 percent. He put up 90 receiving yards per game, had a season-high 51-yard reception, 472 yards before the catch, and 518 yards after the catch.

He even recorded 10 broken tackles this year, a career high. In his rookie season, Nacua dropped 13 passes. in his second season, he has slashed that to just one dropped pass all season. Nothing says playoff-ready like velcro hands. With Nacua suited up, the Rams have played to a record of 8-3, including wins over the Minnesota Vikings and the Buffalo Bills. Without Nacua suited up, the team has just a 2-4 record.

Nacua is a versatile and dangerous offensive weapon

Nacua does more for the team than catch 79 of 106 passes thrown his way. He is a superb blocker, and rushed 11 times for 46 yards and one rushing touchdown. And as the team must lean more and more upon venerable offensive veterans like QB Matthew Stafford, WR Cooper Kupp, and RT Rob Havenstein, it's wonderful to witness a young player on the Rams roster knock down the door to leading the team and asserting himself as Mr. Clutch when the team needs him the most.

Best of all, the best of Puka Nacua is yet to come. He continues to defy skeptics by showing up big in big games. Against the Minnesota VIkings, Philadelphia Eagles, and Buffalo Bills, Nacua put up a combined 28 of 36 passes for 385 receiving yards and one touchdown. It's clear that when he faces tough opponents, Nacua brings his A game.

Will that be enough? Perhaps, perhaps not. But with Nacua putting up that much offense, the team can be very thoughtful about how to put up the rest. The team has the option of rushing with RB Kyren Williams. The team has the option of integrating WR Cooper Kupp into the offense. The team can turn to rookie Jordan Whittington, speedster Tutu Atwell, or very productive Demarcus Robinson.

The team can even deploy the seldom-yet yet remarkably effective 12-personnel offense. Ultimately, the presence of Puka Nacua in this offense unlocks a wide array of options. He is dangerous, productive, and vital.

As always, thanks for reading.

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