Puka Nacua continues to embarrass 31 other NFL teams and he's kept the receipts

The phenomenal career of Los Angeles Rams star wide receiver Puka Nacua is mind-boggling on its own merits. But his three-year career is even more jaw-dropping when you realize that he was the 177th overall player selected at the end of Round 5 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Even more astonishing, he was considered the 47th overall wide receiver selected in that rookie class.

19 wide receivers were selected before Nacua heard his name called. Clearly, 31 other teams now realize what a mistake it was not to select the former Brigham Young University receiver. You see, he has put up 4,191 receiving yards in his first three seasons. That puts him as the runner-up to Justin Jefferson's 4,825 receiving yards over the same number of years.

Jefferson played in 50 games and had 476 targets over his first three seasons. Nacua played in 44 games and was targeted just 432 times in his first three seasons.

Even NFL analyst Brian Baldinger is delighted to rub Puka Nacua's excellence in the faces of teams that failed to draft him. And sports commentator Troy Aikman has sung his praises as well. Still, NFL analysts only briefly cited Nacua as one of the most dominating offensive players this season.

Puka Nacua has been unstoppable in Rams offense this season

The truth is that NFL scouts and draft analysts were simply not impressed with Puka Nacua's track speed. He only put up a 4.57-second time in the 40-yard dash, a time that is not viewed as impressive enough for the NFL's top receivers.

Ah, but how many NFL receivers run a straight line? Nacus tops out at over 21 miles per hour running his routes, a speed that many fail to match despite better linear speed. And that is what both general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay keyed on.;

Both Snead and McVay loved what they saw in Nacua's collegiate fofed soft hands with a vise-like grip. The team sought a versatile plug-and-play receiver to complement the passing game. Fortunately, the pair found someone who proved to be a true NFL star.

This season, Nacua has put up over 100+ receiving yards six times. In Week 15, he caught 12 of 16 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks. He even hauled in six of nine passes for 72 yards against the Carolina Panthers in Week 13.

Look for him to better that mark in the playoffs.

Even as veteran wide receiver Davante Adams has topped the team with 14 receiving touchdowns, Nacua topped his career mark of nine touchdowns in two seasons by putting up 10 touchdowns in 2025. And of his 1,715 receiving yards this season, he put up 666 yards after the catch. That works out to nearly 40 percent of his offense after he makes the catch.

Based on his production, he is the top wide receiver from the rookie class of 2023. And Los Angeles called out his name with the last selection of Round 5 of that 2023 NFL Draft.

No, draft scouts and analysts are not perfect. Puka Nacua is a living example of how wrong they can be, and he continues to embarrass 31 other teams with each catch that he makes.

As always, thanks for reading.