Rams training camp is dominated by a player nobody saw coming

The Los Angeles Rams have not had much experience making a selection on Day 1 of the annual NFL draft. Since the team hired Head Coach Sean McVay in 2017, the team has only made one selection in Round 1 of the draft, and that selection was certainly worth the wait, as linebacker Jared Verse was the 2025 Defensive Rookie of the Year.

But drafting later in the draft has become the Rams' specialty, particularly in recent drafts. In 2022, the Rams selected running back Kyren Williams in Round 5. In 2023, they selected wide receiver Puka Nacua in Round 5. In 2024, it was WR Jordan Whittington in Round 6.

While Whittington has not reached his true NFL potential just yet, he is showing signs of significant progress so far in Rams training camp.

And in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Rams selected Pittsburgh Panthers rookie wide receiver prospect Konata Mumpfield. And he has been dropping jaws among the Rams coaching staff. He has even been getting high praise from Rams HC Sean McVay:

Regardless of the pre-draft hype or loft projections, the true litmus test for any rookie joining the NFL is how they conduct themselves when the pads go on. By all accounts, Konata Mumpfield has earned high praise from the Rams coaches.

Konata Mumpfield on way to become another Rams Day 3 dynamo

We've talked about the positive buzz generated by rookie WR Konata Mumpfield before, and we probably will again. As it now stands, the Rams roster has locked in starters in the form of veterans Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. But beyond those two, the competition has yet to settle on a definitive WR3.

While the one-year $10 million contract for veteran WR Tutu Atwell seemed to suggest he would be getting most of the remaining targets, second-year WR Jordan Whittington is looking very good in training camp. And then there is the surprising performance of Mumpfield, a rookie who everyone seemed high on, but nobody saw pushing for a significant number of targets this season.

Wide receivers love to be on the receiving end of a Matthew Stafford pass. Former Rams wide receiver DeSean Jackson confirmed that Stafford throws the most catchable pass in the NFL. Right now, Mumpfield is turning heads on the receiving end of Stetson Bennett passes. Imagine his upside when Stafford throws to him.

Necessity seems to be the mother of invention in this Rams offense. When the Rams need an offensive star, one simply seems to step into the spotlight. Right now, the Rams appear to need that third vital wide receiver to move the chains. Could that player be Konata Mumpfield? Some analysts, teammates, and coaches already believe that he can.

As always, thanks for reading.

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