CB Gabe Jeudy: "He's (Puka Nacua's) legit." So who has Nacua-potential in this draft?

If you thought that Brigham Young University wide receiver Puka Nacua would be a solid NFL contributor in the days leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft, you were one of only a small group of NFL fans who had a true appreciation of this young man's upside. Unlike many young NFL hopefuls who want to get the ball to impress their skills for coaches, Nacua was content to invest his time with QB Matthew Stafford and WR Cooper Kupp to fully understand his role before taking the football field.

It seems that when it comes to the wide receiver position, NFL draft scouts struggle to identify the 'it' factor at times. How else can you categorize the draft profiles that had the 6-foot-2 202-pound Rams receiver as a Day 3 prospect who would likely hear his name called out in Round 6 or 7 of the 2023 NFL Draft?

Let's face it, there was nothing wrong or abnormal around the NFL Draft process that allowed the LA Rams to call out Puka Nacua's name with the 177th overall pick in Round 5 of the 2023 NFL Draft. On draft day, some draft analysts believed that the Rams had reached a bit for the young man, believing that he would still be on the board as late as Round 7.

Thankfully, the Rams wisely thought otherwise.

But even after the fact, Rams GM Les Snead continues to be amazed at just how well rookie WR Puka Nacua performed for the team in 2023. That's not to say that Snead did not anticipate Nacua's fit. It's simply highlighting the fact that the number of variables that must line up for a productive season for an NFL rookie is too numerous to anticipate with any accuracy. So the best any NFL general manager can hope for is to land a player who makes the most of any opportunity bestowed upon them by the coaching staff.

Opportunities are not something anyone can project. It's simply blind luck for Nacua that veteran WR Cooper Kupp started the 2023 NFL season on the Injured Reserve roster. That opened the door for starting QB Matthew Stafford to build chemistry with his rookie receiver over the first four games. That chemistry and production was so impressive, that when Kupp was healthy enough to return to the active roster, the front office was willing to trade promising WR Van Jefferson away to make room for Kupp.

Let's start with revisiting how the Rams were able to perceive Puka Nacua's NFL potential. Once we have that in our utility belt, we can pivot to the 2024 NFL Draft class to try to identify Day 3 prospects who could shine in the NFL.

All set? Here we go . . .

What can the Rams front office do to duplicate another Puka Nacua in the 2024 NFL Draft?

1. An entertaining tale: 'Nacus is legit'
2. Can anyone match Nacua's NFL impact in the 2024 NFL Draft?
3. Let's be Cavalier about it
4. Senior Bowl superhero
5. This WR is one wild cat
6. Don't be afraid to be too cocky at WR
7. Howl about this Red Wolves WR?

An entertaining tale: 'Nacus is legit'

I unashamedly admit that I did not see the value inherent in Brigham Young University WR Puka Nacua leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft. But once he was selected by the team, his fit was obvious. That was made crystal clear by Sports Illustrated writer Gilberto Manzano in this training camp article:

"The rookie who caught my eye: The Rams might have one of the biggest steals of the 2023 draft with fifth-round pick Puka Nacua.

Sure, that might be premature, but the 6-foot-2 Nacua has already received plenty of snaps with the first-team offense, and that was before Kupp got injured. He’s a strong candidate to be the third starting wideout, and it was easy to see why with the handful of plays he made Sunday with Stafford throwing in his direction."

S.I writer Gilberto Manzano

But now that we have a season in our rearview mirror, we can look for more breadcrumbs as new bits of evidence that pointed to Nacua's potential in his first NFL season. One bit of data that should have pointed to his upside is the fact that his 20.06 mph speed in the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine gauntlet drill was the best of any receiver.

But there are more bits of information seeing the light of day now as well. Here is a fun story from Tennessee Volunteer cornerback Gabe Jeudy-Lally, a 2024 rookie prospect who played for Brigham Young University in 2022. In his interview on The Sick Podcast with Draft Vogel (a former contributor on Ramblin Fan), Gabe Jeudy-Lally shared that he was tasked with covering Puka Nacua in practice.

So what did he think about Nacua in practice?

"I did play with (WR) Puka Nacua. That dude is legit"

DB Gabe Jeudy-Lally

Jeudy-Lally is a 6-foot-1 180-pound cornerback who was not invited to the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. But that does not mean that he will not hear his name in the upcoming draft. Even if he fails to be drafted, he is the right size to be a priority free agent signing after the draft concludes.

So, who might be a player who can make a similar impact from Day 3 in 2024? Let's take a look:

Can anyone match Nacua's NFL impact in the 2024 NFL Draft?

Being an elite NFL player in a rookie season does afford that player some perks. For starters, his opportunity to get offensive snaps is a given. Better still, he is no longer tasked with getting the attention of the coaching staff, trying to make a good impression, or even fighting his teammates for reps in OTAs or training camp.

But Nacua is no longer an offensive weapon who must prove his value to starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, or to HC Sean McVay, that means that he is not only going to get his share of targets in this offense, but the playbook will be written in such a way to optimize his offensive impact. Now, a new rookie must try to repeat that eyebrow-raising jaw-dropping impact in the Rams 2024 Training camp, and here are some who I believe have the potential to do exactly that

Let's be Cavalier about it

Former Virginia Cavaliers WR Malik Washington is a promising receiver option for the LA Rams in the 2024 NFL Draft. While his 5-foot-8 191-pound size does not scream tough physical wide receiver, he has many of the attributes that the Rams seek to add to the wide receiver position. For starters, he is a five-year NCAA college football player who is entering the 2024 NFL Draft at 23 years of age. He has been very productive in college, putting up over 1400 yards with 110 catches and nine touchdowns in 2023.

And he has experience as a talented kickoff returner, returning 14 kicks for 273 yards, for an average of 19.5 yards per return.

Washington possesses a very high football iQ, has great instincts at finding soft spots in zone coverages, exhibits a great route tree, has almost limitless passion for football, is incredibly coachable, often working hard to continue to improve his game. He often explodes for yards after the catch, an attribute that the team will love to put to the test.

Due to his size limitations, he will be less effective at blocking. He may also struggle to get out of the gate against bigger and more physical defensive backs. But he would be a great understudy to WR Tutu Atwell, and can immediately contribute as a punt/kickoff returner.

Projection: Late Round 3

Senior Bowl superhero

Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley is a name whose stock jumped onto the radar screen thanks to a sensational week of practice leading up to the Reese Senior Bowl. Standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 215 pounds, Corley is a very productive college receiver who seems to be a one-man scoring machine. In each of his last two seasons of NCAA football, Corley scored 11 touchdowns. That's very impressive.

If you want yards after the catch (YAC), then Malachi Corley is your guy. Nicknamed the 'YAC-King' in college football, he is extremely dangerous with the football in his hands. That is how he has been so consistently effective at scoring touchdowns. He is a physical receiver, able to turn catch-and-run plays into big gainers due to his ability to run through defensive backs. Best of all, he exhibits soft hands that consistently snag the football out of the air away from his body.

Projection: Late Round 2

This WR is one wild cat

Former Kentucky Wildcat WR Tayvion Robinson is a 5-foot-10, 191-pound wide receiver who may have flown under the radar of many NFL teams. But you can bet that the LA Rams are well aware of his potential, as former Rams OC Liam Coen was his offensive coordinator in 2023. As such, he enters the 2024 NFL Draft with a pretty good idea of this team's offensive strategy and playbook.

But there is more to love about Robinson than his familiarity with the team's offensive strategy. He is a solid possession receiver, a guy who seems to find ways to get open in crucial moments of the game. He is surprisingly physical at the line of scrimmage, able to deflect defensive backs' attempts to stall him at the line of scrimmage, and allowing him to make the catch against all pass coverages. He is willing to run crossing routes, and he has the ability to consistently make catches in traffic.

While productive, he has had varied success in the offense. The team will appreciate his strong experience with special teams, having served as a kick returner in one season, and a punt returner in all five college seasons. While his age is not readily available, we project his NFL age at 23 years old (graduated HS in 2018).

Projected: Round 7

Don't be afraid to be too cocky at WR

Former South Carolina Gamecocks WR Xavier Legette has certainly improved his draft stock with a solid performance at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 221 pounds, Legette put up an astonishing 4.39-second 40-time that has many NFL teams reordering their draft boards as a result.

He had been a consistent producer for the South Carolina offense for four season, but he had a breakout season in 2023, catching 71 passes for 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns. Couple that offensive efficiency with the fact that he has extensive special teams experience, and you can see why the Rams front office may take a keen interest in him.

And then you have former WR Steve Smith Sr. comparing him to Seattle Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf:

Legette is the perfect storm of size, speed, physicality, and making contested catches. That is certainly going to place him on nearly every NFL team's draft board. His performance in the Combine will only stoke interest in him:

If the Rams truly have an interest in adding bigger receivers, then Legette is an ideal option. While standing 6-foot-1 is certainly tall enough, he plays bigger. Weighing 221 pounds of muscle, he already looks every bit the part of a three-down receiver in the NFL.

Projected: Round 3

Howl about this Red Wolves WR?

Former Arkansas State Red Wolves WR Corey Rucker is a 6-foot-0 210-pound wide receiver option in the 2024 NFL Draft who will likely not attract much interest. Nearing 22 years of age, Rucker is a four-year NCAA college football player who possesses much of the foundational attributes that NFL GMs seek in rookie WR prospects.

Rucker has had a feast or famine type of college football career. He put up over 300 receiving yards in one game 2020, getting national recognition for that historic achievement:

But the rest of his games that season resulted in just 143 yards and one touchdown.

Rucker has the ability to have unbridled success as a receiver. But that has worked against him at times. With a limited route tree, Rucker has relied on matching up against lesser defenders to whomp them via his production. While he showed more consistency at putting up yardage in 2023, it came at the expense of his ability to score, putting up just two touchdowns.

Rucker has a high ceiling if he can play more consistently and create more separation on the football field.

Projected: Priority undrafted free agent signing

Ultimately, the LA Rams must weigh all evidence if they are to have any hope of finding an elite rookie wide receiver in this draft. Fortunately, the presence of Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. and LSU WR Malik Neighbors creates long shadows that masks the potential of other rookie wide receiver prospects in this draft class.

I am confident that the team will add one or more wide receivers in the 2024 NFL Draft. But for the life of me, I really do not have a feel who that rookie prospect or prospects might be.

Thanks again for reading.