Jordan Whittington's new creative role is a ray of hope for floundering Rams

Things aren't going to get any better for the 1-4 LA Rams until they get players back from injury, but those returnees don't have to be star wide receivers Cooper Kupp or Puka Nacua. Not when rookie Jordan Whittington is emerging nicely in a role typical of the creative way head coach Sean McVay uses his wideouts.

The Rams selected Whittington with the 213th pick in the 2024 NFL draft, and the early returns are already making that look like a bargain. Whittington is tied for second on the team with 18 receptions, as well as being second in receiving yards with 201, per Pro Football Reference, but solid numbers only tell part of the story.

The first-year pro is demonstrating greater value thanks to his ability to meet different responsibilities in a variety of alignments.

Jordan Whittington already a classic Sean McVay-era Rams receiver

Playing receiver for McVay demands being able to line up anywhere, attack defenses both on the ground and through the air and embrace the physical aspects of the game. Robert Woods ticked all of those boxes once upon a time, before Kupp took the same role up a level, then Nacua stepped into the breach to confirm his status as a late-round steal in 2023.

Now it's Whittingon's turn. The ex-Texas stud is McVay's motion man ready to take any kind of route to get behind coverage.

For example, when Whittington motioned to get through the C-gap for a big catch and run, highlighted by Josh Norris of Underdog Fantasy, against the Green Bay Packers in Week 5. Here is a social media quip that captured Whittington at his best.

This was a nice design, but the greater significance of the play was summed up by a detailed response to Norris' tweet by Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic:

"It’s an evolution of what they call -blast- that along with getting (the) receiver into space if he can quickly get through helps further sell the disguise that it could be a run because Puka/Higbee hit that as a block out-of-motion in the run game all year last year. Fun stuff."

- Jourdan Rodrigue

The reference to what Nacua or tight end Tyler Higbee might have done on the play is significant. This motion has often been the precursor for a run, so motioning Whittington is just another way for McVay to package different plays within the same looks. That's the foundation of the Shanahan-esque scheme McVay learned in Washington back in the day.

A great example of the McVay theory in practice comes from Whittington also motioning to break through the C-gap (on the outside shoulder of the left tackle) against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3. This time, No. 88 blocked to clear a rushing lane for running back Kyren Williams to scamper for a touchdown.

Making multi-faceted use of key receivers creates big plays in the running game, but the greater upside is in expanding how McVay keeps the pass attack viable while Kupp and Nacua on the shelf.

One way is through so-called "long handoffs." Short, quick passes to let Whittington become a runner in space.

It's a nifty changeup out of run-heavy sets like 12 personnel, one running back, and two tight ends. The formation signals run, but a play-action dump-off to Whittington can catch defenses cold, the way it did against the Niners, per Blaine Grisak of SB Nation's Turf Show Times.

Using 12 personnel has led to the scant few positive plays these banged up Rams have manufactured this season. Whittington has been at the heart of most of those gains.

In the process, he's helping the Rams prepare for a daunting future.

Rams might already have their Cooper Kupp successor

Whittington has a long, long road to travel if he's going to devleop into what Kupp became in this league. Yet, there's no escaping the fact the Rams need to prepare for a future without No. 10.

Kupp is 31 and has dealt with a myriad of problems in recent seasons. Problems like an ongoing ankle issue he can't seem to shake.

The harsh reality is the Rams can no longer rely on the former triple-crown receiving champion as their go-to target. Nacua's dominance mitigated the Kupp-less effect last season, but Whittington's continued emergence can help the Rams strike gold.

Having a pair of late-round picks become playmakers from anywhere on the field would give the Rams a cost-effective double act to replace Kupp. Few teams in the NFL ever get that lucky when moving on from a franchise great.

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