Rams Roster: Fast 40+ LA Rams roster roundup WR Puka Nacua (#8)

In a surprising twist, the LA Rams did not load up on multiple wide receivers in the 2023 NFL Draft. In fact, the Rams draft did not address the receiver position until very late in Round 5. By the time the team did so, they chose BYU WR Puka Nakua.

If you didn't know much about Puka Nacua before the 2023 NFL Draft, you are forgiven. He was a rising star in the days leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft. But with a crowded and talented wide receiver group, he was lost amidst a large number of talented players. Thankfully, the Rams' front office remained on target and was able to select WR Puka Nacua with the 177th pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. Now, what can we tell you about him?

A quick summary

There was never a rookie wide receiver that LA Rams head coach Sean McVay didn't like is true every year, but especially so this season. The 6-foot-2 202-pound wide receiver is the ideal size and weight for the LA Rams' offensive needs. Beoyond his height and weight, he has a solid resume in terms of college production.

Nacua chalked up 48 receptions for 625 yards and five touchdowns while starting seven of nine games played for the Cougars in 2022. But he was also involved in the BYU running game, as he posted 25 carries for 209 yards and an additional five touchdowns.

If you like a dependable and hard-working skill player on the offense, then you can sit back and enjoy what Puka Nacua brings to this LA Rams roster. He is quite similar to Rams WR Cooper Kupp in that he is not viewed as a particularly swift or athletic receiver. But when given the chance, he seems to find ways to make positive yards, move the chains, and score touchdowns.

What I don't like about this signing

The challenge with drafting rookies to play on the Rams roster is very much akin to shopping sales and buying bargain-priced items because the price is irresistibly cheap. But then, after arriving home, the merchandise is stored in a closet in its original package and never heard from again.

The Rams have done that frequently in recent years, adding a promising young wide receiver to the roster, and then letting them collect dust while the team continues to start and rotate in a small number of receivers in the offense. Will rookie WR Puka Nacua break that habit? We can only hope so.

But more importantly, Nacua's scores on his raw athleticism do not compare favorably to other wide receivers. That does not mean that he cannot get the job done. It simply means that he will need to work that much harder to achieve results.

When taken in the context of a professional athlete playing in the NFL, it means that the Rams will need to pay close attention to what they are asking from Nacua in the offense. He may need to be featured in specific plays designed to help him create separation without a strong dependence on things he cannot do as well as others.

With a number of receivers waiting in the wings, does Puka Nacua add more to the Rams roster at the wide receiver position than another player would have added to the overall roster at another position? This time it could very well prove to be the case, but in the past, the Rams have had blinders on in their zest to add receivers, and had missed out on incredible opportunities to upgrade at a different position.

What I like about this signing

You always like to see rookies who have competed well against other seniors in bowl games. Those senior bowls are the perfect stages for college seniors who are expected to have draftable grades to compete against other college seniors of similar talent levels. It's the first, and perhaps the only, opportunity for NFL personnel executives and scouts to see prospects in direct competition with their peers.

The truth is that any rookie wide receiver who lands on the Rams roster has an incredible set of teammates to use as reference guides and mentors. And for WR Nacua, that is exactly what he has done so far during his time with the Rams coaches and players.

Learning the Rams offense for a new wide receiver can be quite a challenge. It's a complex process of not only running routes, but being in the right place at the right time. Beyond that, it also involves a huge set of responsibilities of blocking, and can even be very involved in the running game in terms of jet sweeps.

Puka Nacua has a ripe background at running the football with Brigham Young, and that will definitely be a huge plus in improving his chances of contributin on the Rams offense during the 2023 NFL season.

What I love about this signing

Let's open up this segment by turning to a standard litmus test for rookies who join the Rams roster: The Reese Senior Bowl. If a player can show up in a big way on that stage, they have one foot in the door in terms of their debut in the NFL.

And yes, BYU WR Puka Nacua showed up in a huge way at the Senior Bowl:

But that was just the beginning. Early reports emerged from the Rams OTAs that Puka Nacua was turning some heads. For that reason alone, we were persuaded to include rookie receiver Nacua among our 5 Rams locked and loaded for a breakout season this year.

But we are not the only ones to notice his potential in the LA Rams offense. Sports Illustrated writer Gilberto Manzano had plenty of praises to hep on rookie Puka Nacua.

In fact, he went so far as to say:

"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 6'2" 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

That's pretty powerful praise.

if there is a surprise at all in how he will be used, it's the fact that Puka Nacua has been listed on the LA Rams initial depth chart as the team's starting punt returner. The reason that is a surprise is the fact that he had no special team experience at college whatsoever. Will he be able to handle that pressure of fielding punts as well as contributing on offense this year? Let's hope so. If he plays well, the Rams will certainly have a stronger chance of winning.

If he struggles, will the Rams current roster be able to compensate?

What are his chances of making the roster?

He is nearly a lock at making the Rams 53-man roster. Even without the starting punt returner duties, he is the sixth receiver on the Rams depth chart, and the team will likely carry six receivers on the roster. Of course. things can change before the start of opening day. But filling the role of punt returner as well as wide receiver practically ensures that he will be survive the roster cuts as the team pares down to the 53-man limit.