How WR Davante Adams and Puka Nacua can flourish in the same offense

We are entering a new chapter for the Los Angeles Rams. In some ways, the differences between then and now are quite subtle. In other ways, the differences are significant. Under the more prominent differences is the reality that neither All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald nor All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp is on the Rams roster for 2025.

That is not to say that the team is suddenly void of elite playmakers. While the team is no longer home to familiar faces, the team has added some reputable playmakers who could make huge positive impacts for the team in 2025. It's that very reason that this team has entrusted its success to new faces on the roster that makes this a new and exciting chapter.

There is much that can be discussed about the defense. The Rams seem to have a masterful plan in place so far, with the team rallying around young, energetic pass rushers, buoyed by the stout run defense of newly signed NT Poona Ford. But let's put a pin on that topic and turn to the offensive changes. Specifically, the Rams' aerial assault is taking shape for the 2025 NFL season.

Gone are WRs Cooper Kupp, Demarcus Robinson, and Tyler Johnson. In their place, the team will rely upon Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittington, and whoever the team may add during this year's draft. Of the group, only Davante Adams is new to the team. But that does not mean that this is the same old offense. The Rams will fill the vacated workload by a combination of Adams' presence, while expanding roles for lesser-used receivers.

First of all, let's take a look at how the Rams might take advantage of Davante Adams in this offense.

The monarch of making separation

The NFL career of wide receiver Davante Adams needs no praise or accolades from me. An 11-year NFL veteran who boasts a career average of catching 63.5 percent of the passes thrown his way, Adams is a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro. While he is on the back-nine of his NFL career, he continues to put up over 1000+ receiving yards and eight touchdowns in each of the past two NFL seasons.

Adams is a unique type of wide receiver. Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 215 pounds, he is an ideal size for his style of receiving. Not one who has competed in an offense with pre-snap motions or bunches of receivers. As a result, he learned how to create separation with an impressive array of jukes, fakes, and head fakes that confuse defensive backs and allow him to create instant separation.

With so much talent, Adams has managed to record 11,844 receiving yards, 583 first downs, and 103 touchdowns in 11 NFL seasons. If you listen to LA Rams HC Sean McVay speak, you cannot dispute the fact that he views Devante Adams as a dangerous offensive weapon for the Rams offense:

Adams brings a new and different skill set to the offense. Whereas the Rams had multiple receivers on the roster last year who showcased precision route running with perfectly-timed passes from veteran QB Matthew Stafford, the presence of Davante Adams on the roster this season adds an entirely new set of offensive plays.

Adams can benefit from pre-snap motion, but he won't rely upon it. And that allows this offense to mix in new strategies. But that does more than add a new dimension to this offense. It amplifies the tried and true gifts of the next weapon at HC Sean McVay's disposal.

Puka's physical precision production

The Los Angeles Rams greatly believed what former BYU rookie WR prospect Puka Nacua brought to the NFL. Nacua stood 6-foot-2 and weighed 212 pounds, a solid size for an NFL wide receiver. He was a tough-nosed receiver specializing in precision route-running, soft, vice-grip-like hands, and a penchant for physicality. But it was not until the Rams coaching staff witnessed his ability to perform on the football field in his first NFL game that they realized what that meant for this team.

He caught 10 of 15 passes for 119 yards in his first-ever NFL game. He followed that up by hauling in 15 of 20 passes for 147 yards. After four games, he had put up 39 catches out of 52 targets for 501 yards and one touchdown, more than many analysts expected him to post in the entire NFL season.

It's no wonder that veteran WR Van Jefferson realized that the return of Cooper Kupp to the starting lineup meant he would likely be demoted and sought a trade.

Since arriving in the NFL, young receiver Puka Nacua has been the best pass-catcher on the team. He has a knack for being where he needs to be when the ball arrives, and he knows what to do once the football is in his hands. In 28 games over the past two seasons, Nacua has already put up 2,476 receiving yards, 184 receptions out of 266 targets (good for a 69.2 catch percentage), 115 first downs, and nine touchdowns.

And yes, he is good wherever and however he is deployed in this offense:

Nacua is the anvil of the Rams' offense. He is the physical, crisp route-runner whose speed is not impressive in a straight line, but who knows how to set up defensive backs for an entire afternoon of deceptive head fakes and double moves. He flourishes in this motion-driven offense because he uses that jumpstart to get to his spot right on time.

Now paired with the master of separation, Davante Adams, Nacua's skillset will be even more challenging to defensive backs who must neutralize two entirely different types of receivers.

But wait, there's more.

Why Tutu Atwell remains a wildcard for 2025

Since selecting him with the 57th overall pick in Round 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams' willingness to use WR Tutu Atwell in the offense has notoriously fallen short of the verbiage and pre-season hype cited by the coaching staff. And for Rams fans who were horrified that the team opted to select Atwell instead of promising rookie center Creed Humphrey, it has been a painful memory that has remained.

The problem is, it's not Tutu Atwell's fault.

Even as the Rams' post-season diagnosis was the need to become more explosive on offense, they failed to use their most explosive offensive weapon. Tutu Atwell can run a 40-yard dash in 4.32 seconds. How does that stack up against the other receivers on the Rams roster in 2024 and 2025?

• Tutu Atwell - 4.32 seconds
• Puka Nacua - 4.57 seconds
• Demarcus Robinson - 4.59 seconds
• Cooper Kupp - 4.62 seconds
• Tyler Johnson - 4.70 seconds
• Jordan Whittington - 4.56 seconds
• Xavier Smith - 4.48 seconds
• Davante Adams - 4.56 seconds

As you can see, Atwell is the fastest receiver on the Rams roster, both then and now. It was his speed that made him an ideal player to extend for one more season to give the offense a vital weapon. But speed is not enough. And that is why the Rams needed to bring back Atwell.

Atwell's lack of production compared to other receivers in this offense is not due to any shortcoming on his part any longer. The team fails to keep him involved in the offense to the same degree that other receivers have been used. Just for argument's sake, let's diagnose how effective Rams receivers have been by combining their past two seasons in a data table. They are:

• Puka Nacua | 184 catches | 266 targets | 69.2% catch | 2,476 yards | 9 TDs
• Cooper Kupp | 126 catches | 195 targets | 65.2% catch | 1,447 yards | 11 TDs
• Demarcus Robinson | 57 catches | 103 targets | 55.3% catch | 876 yards | 11 TDs
• Tutu Atwell | 81 catches | 129 targets | 62.8% catch | 1,045 yards | 3 TDs

Atwell simply failed to attract targets at the same level as Puka Nacua or Cooper Kupp. Yet, his production in terms of receiving yards has steadily increased from 298 receiving yards in 2022, to 483 receiving yards in 2023, to 562 receiving yards in 2024.

Given a steady diet of targets and a consistent role in the offense, Atwell projects to be a 1000+ receiving yards offensive weapon. At his 2024 rate, he would need to be targeted 110 times to break the 1000+ receiving yards plateau. Can he do it?

That all depends on the Rams' offense and play-calling. Atwell is ideally suited for a 12-personnel receiver option, as his breakaway speed forces defenses to keep safeties back to defend the deep route. That would allow the Rams' blocking to outmaneuver defenses in the box, giving the offense the advantage. Should defenses crowd the box with eight defenders, send Atwell deep for a big gain.

The Rams appear to be committed to a more explosive offense in 2025, and to do that, they will need to amplify the role of Tutu Atwell in the offense. Yes, we've heard similar chatter before. But this time, the Rams seem to be a bit more serious about it. And with Davante Adams paired up with Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell's skillset is unique in the offense in 2025 as well.

Jordan Whittington positioned for a big year

The Los Angeles Rams stared down the barrel of the 2024 NFL Draft, a year loaded with wide receiver talent, and grudgingly selected one rookie wide receiver. The lone addition to the receiver room from last year's draft is former Texas wide receiver Jordan Whittington. Whittington's draft profile was not promising, describing a young receiver whose best attributes were a willingness to block and be a decoy to free up other receivers. Now, here is what draft analysts got wrong, and why the Rams made Whittington their lone selection.

Professional football is more than Fantasy Football statistics. At a time when athletes' compensation is proportional to name recognition, WR Jordan Whittington is a throwback to the 'Team First' mindset.

Like trying to teach college basketball players how to play defense, trying to teach rookie receivers how to block, how to clear out zones, and how to run with the football are the most difficult coaching components for significant playing time. And yet, Whittington arrived on the Rams roster with an excellent portfolio in all those categories.

All that remained was to coach Whittington on how to run his routes and when to hit his marks to meet the football. The fact that he hauled in 22 of 28 passes (a 78.6 percent catch rate) for 293 yards proves that he has plenty more where that came from.

Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 202 pounds, the absence of Cooper Kupp (6-foot-2, 207 pounds) may be all that is required to springboard Whittington into a far more meaningful role this season. After all, the Rams offense must replace the production of Kupp (100 targets), Demarcus Robinson (64 targets), and Tyler Johnson (41 targets).

Even if Whittington is targeted 50 or more times in 2025, he will likely put up over 500 receiving yards. Even that amount feels conservative.

In just three starts in all of the 2024 NFL season, rookie WR Jordan Whittington hauled in 16 of 22 passes for 237 receiving yards. Over 17 games, that projects to 1,343 receiving yards. While not at Puka Nacua's sensational rookie season, it's close enough (in theory) to be very optimistic over Whittington's upcoming season.

Will the Rams add a wide receiver? I would not be surprised if they did. But with the current receiving corps, this is a diverse and complementary bunch of receivers who threaten opposing secondaries in more ways than ever before. The ongoing challenge to any rookie receiver addition (who is not named Puka Nacua) is the difficulty in breaking into the rotation and getting targets in their first NFL season.

Ultimately, both WR Davante Adams and Puka Nacua can flourish in the same offense. The trick will be ensuring that there are plenty of offensive plays and targets to go around. While the Rams may want to be a more explosive offense, the play-calling will need to walk a fine line between huge gains and time-consuming offensive drives. I'm eager to see how the Rams pull it off.

As always, thanks for reading.

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