NFL analyst reveals the cold hard truth about Rams WR Puka Nacua

The evidence after four NFL games is in, and the conclusion that fans draw from it is undeniable. The Los Angeles Rams have full respect and confidence in wide receiver Puka Nacua.

And in four games, he has set a pace for receiving yards that is so blazing hot that he is already more than 100 receiving yards ahead of the runner-up.

That's right. More than 100 receiving yards ahead of the second-place receiver.

That's not something that happens frequently, nor is it something that fans should gloss over. How's this for a hot pace? Even if he takes off every fifth game this season, Nacua is still on pace to put up over 1,700 receiving yards. That is sitting out three games this season. That's just incredible.

So it's not unusual for ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes to weigh in and declare that Nacua has earned the title of the best offensive player in football.

"He's the best offensive player in football, in my mind," Kimes said. "And I want to emphasize 'player.' Because he does so much for this offense."

Despite opening the season at 3-1, the Rams offense, defense, and special teams are only starting to congeal into their best efforts. Whether it's undisciplined play that leads to costly penalties, poorly timed turnovers, or simply facing bad officiating, the team continues to do just enough to win.
And fans can thank the emergence of their third-year receiver for that.

The cold hard truth about Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua

It's a simple equation: Throw the football to the player with the highest catch rate, who churns out plenty of yards after the catch, and the offense will move the chains. That explains why nearly 38 percent of the passes thrown by quarterback Matthew Stafford target Nacua.

And it explains why the same player accounts for nearly 46 percent of the completions.

He is a rare combination of possession receiver, circus-catcher, and explosive playmaker. His Week 4 highlights put his production and versatility on full display. He is more than a great receiver; he is an unstoppable offensive weapon.

Just how good is he? Nacua has faced the pass defenses of the Houston Texans (seventh place), Tennessee Titans (22nd place), Philadelphia Eagles (17th place), and Indianapolis Colts (21st place), and no secondary can contain him. With four games as such a small sample, these secondaries would likely be ranked much higher had they not surrendered a component of the former Brigham Young University receiver's 503 receiving yards this season.

Will there be more where that came from? Absolutely.

It's difficult to project his torrid pace over 17 games because it's uncertain if his body can tolerate that level of workload. LA has multiple talented offensive weapons, and until other they become far more active, opposing defenses simply need to plan to stop the greatest threat.

So far, none have been able to do so. This is, however, a copycat league. So, once one defense solves the riddle, all will simply copy and paste that same strategy.

For now, Nacua is the greatest offensive player in the NFL in 2025. That is Kimes' opinion, and she has plenty of evidence to support her claim. And with Los Angeles facing the 3-1 San Francisco 49ers on a short week, that's a very good thing.

As always, thanks for reading.

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