Which 2nd year LA Rams player is the most promising building block for 2024?

II: WR Puka Nacua

It never ceases to amaze me how the NFL headlines take two different paths over the course of a season. On one hand, there is no shortage of rankings and headlines touting how the rookie class of 2024 wide receivers are already considered among the Top 10 receivers of 2024, without ever taking a single snap. And then, on the other hand, how quickly everyone seems to forget that Rams WR Puka Nacua set the All-Time NFL Rookie Receiver Record.

As a refresher, rookie WR Puka Nacua caught 105 of 160 passes for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns. In many ways, and in many games, he was the engine that pulled the offense along. But he was not just a svelte and speedy receiver. He was a precise route runner, a phenomenal blocker, and a receiver who was incredibly physical and durable. Best of all, once he catches the football, he becomes even more dangerous, with 632 of his 1486 total receiving yards coming from Yards After the Catch.

Puka Nacua stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 212 pounds. He has an ideal size, mind-set, and stamina for the job of NFL wide receiver. While rookie receivers came puff their chests and claim that they will easily topple Nacua's record, don't count on it.

Nacua did not arrive at the NFL with entitlement. He did not expect to be a star in the NFL. He was simply a young man who was fighting with all of his energy simply to earn a spot on the roster and earn his next offensive snap, let alone targets in a game.

But with the early season injury to starting WR Cooper Kupp, the team needed Nacua to step up. Well, Nacua did, and never looked back. Nacua is more than a dangerous offensive weapon. He is the type of player who never surrenders, fights for every inch, and is content simply to block on any given play.

In short, he is Coach McVay's type of building block for the future. But we have one more young building block for 2024. And he is . . .