Rams final wide receiver battle comes down to Tutu Atwell or Jordan Whittington

The Los Angeles Rams' wide receiver room has changed quite a bit from this time one year ago. Last year, the room was filled with WRs Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell, Tyler Johnson, and Jordan Whittington. This year, the room is filled with Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield, and Britain Covey.

But changes embrace more than the players in the room. I'm not convinced that the pecking order is fully established. Not yet anyway. After all, the pads have not gone on. And even for the wide receiver position, the ability to block earns the right to be targeted.

We assembled a projected depth chart after former Rams WR Cooper Kupp signed with the Seattle Seahawks. Now that the Rams draft and post-draft free agent signings have taken place, we have a better sense of the team's projected depth chart for the 2025 NFL season. But even with that in place, we have to discuss which player sees more offensive snaps and targets in 2025.

• WR (left) - WR Davante Adams | WR Jordan Whittington | WR Tru Edwards
• WR (right) - WR Puka Nacua | WR Konata Mumpfield | WR Maro Williams | WR Brennan Pressley
• WR (slot) - WR Tutu Atwell | WR Britan Covey | WR Xavier Smith** | WR Drake Stoops

Will it be the $10 million wide receiver Tutu Atwell? Or will it be second-year wide receiver Jordan Whittington? Let's investigate the pros and cons of each receiver:

Pros and Cons: Tutu Atwell

Pros: Officially listed at 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds, veteran wide receiver Tutu Atwell is the road runner receiver of this offense. Seldom used in the past, Atwell has steadily improved all aspects of his game to finally reach the cusp of a breakout season. Having already been signed to a lucrative one-year contract worth $10 million, the team appears ready to cut Atwell loose and run him hard this season. With his 67.7 catch percentage, 9.1 yards per target, and 13.4 yards per reception in 2024, he appears to be ripe for a larger role.

When given the chance, Atwell delivers. And there are many plays and roles that Atwell can excel at that have never or infrequently been used in the Rams' offense. If the team does adopt more frequent tactics of fielding two tight ends, Atwell is an ideal receiver to line up in that offense. He can stretch the field, clearing routes for tight ends. And his speed is ideally suited to prevent secondaries from crowding the box with eight players.

Tutu Atwell got paid to play. Now, he simply needs to earn that contract.

Cons: The Rams may have cut a huge check for Atwell, but that does not guarantee a huge impact this season. Atwell's offensive snaps in 2024 were cut significantly, from 687 in 2023 to 425 in 2024. It may very well mean that less is more from the veteran wide receiver. And that makes sense, as his official listing of 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds may be overly optimistic.

The Rams' offense demands plenty of physicality from receivers. And for players who stand 6-foot-1 and weigh over 200 pounds, that has created significant challenges in keeping them injury-free and on the football field. Atwell has not had to meet the physical demands in this offense week after week. If he is tasked at that level this season, can his body withstand the physical demands?

Pros and Cons: Jordan Whittington

Pros: The rookie season for wide receiver Jordan Whittington may not have matched the rookie season of WR Puka Nacua the previous season, but it was never going to. Whittington was never going to pry targets and offensive snaps away from Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell, and Tyler Johnson in 2024. The fact that he did get 278 offensive snaps, caught 22 of 28 passes, and put up 293 receiving yards was impressive in itself.

Jordan Whittington stands 6-foot-1, weighs 202 pounds, and is happy to do whatever the coaches ask him to do. He even settled in as a proficient kick returner for special teams in 2024, averaging an impressive 28.3 yards per return on 16 returns.

The Rams love versatile, physical wide receivers, and that description fits Jordan Whittington to a tee. Whittington has the versatility and coachability of WR Ben Skowronek, with a bit of play-making ability of Puka Nacua. He not only caught 78.3 percent of the passes thrown his way, but he put up 203 yards after the catch from his 293 receiving yards. The Rams would be foolish not to give him a much larger role in this offense.

Cons: It's hard for any player to make the jump to a larger role in this offense. But with the front office seemingly cleaning house at the wide receiver position, the path may be paved for Whittington. Still, he has to earn the chance for a larger role, and that has yet to be decided. Unfortunately, the Rams have already voted with their dollars by consenting to retain Tutu Atwell on a $10 million contract.

The Rams coaching staff has to understand that with that kind of compensation, Atwell has to see plenty of playing time. And that could shave both snaps and targets away from Whittington.

Finally, it could be Whittington's willingness to do the dirty work on offense that becomes his biggest hurdle to getting more targets. If he is viewed as a blocking wide receiver, the team will look elsewhere to target receivers to move the chains and put points up on the scoreboard.

Conclusion: Who will it be?

I don't know that it's truly a question of who has the most talent or who can do the job. Rather, this one will come down to who will be allowed to do the job. As confident as I am in WR Jordan Whittington being capable of starring in this offense in a larger role, I have to stick with what I know. And what I know is that veteran WR Tutu Atwell has patiently awaited this chance for four years.

Can he hold up to the pressure of competing at a high level week in and week out? That remains to be seen. If he does suffer even a minor injury, that will open the door for Jordan Whittington to take over.

For now, I'll stick with Atwell as the primary third receiver in this offense. He adds production and explosiveness to the offense that Jordan Whittington has not generated just yet. But this prediction is only as good as Tutu Atwell remaining injury-free. And that, I fear, is the bigger question for 2025.

As always, thanks for reading.

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