Wide receivers drafted before Puka Nacua: complete list

It is somehow both overly-discussed and under-appreciated that Puka Nacua was the 20th wide receiver taken in the 2023 draft. Taken as the 177th pick, Nacua's first year in the pros went better than anyone expected: in 17 games – all starts – he put up almost 1500 yards (1486) on 105 catches with six touchdowns. Only three wide receivers (Tyreek Hill, CeeDee Lamb, and Amon-Ra St. Brown) had more yards than Nacua, and he finished the season ranked as the 8th best WR by Pro Football Focus metrics (out of 128 eligible receivers).

With Cooper Kupp, 31, looking like he's midway through the back nine of his career, Nacua's emergence came at the absolute perfect time for a Rams group that's already in the midst of turning over from the Matt Stafford-Aaron Donald Super Bowl era team. And when the wide receiver your team drafts in the 5th round ends up as a Rookie of the Year runner up and a Pro Bowler right out of the gate, you get to be a little petty about it on the internet. So here's a list of all 19 wideouts drafted before Nacua. You know, just in case you're feeling petty.

The complete list of wide receivers taken before Puka Nacua in '23 Draft