Rams' Konata Mumpfield breakout is already here if Sean McVay is right

Los Angeles Rams receiver Konata Mumpfield took a while to get going in his rookie season. He established a connection with quarterback Matthew Stafford down the stretch and into the playoffs, but when it was all said and done, he finished with only 10 catches for 92 yards. 

The team has nonetheless remained high on the seventh-round pick, anticipating significant strides from Mumpfield in Year 2. For head coach Sean McVay, Mumpfield is already well on his way after a solid camp that earned him a seat in the preseason opener:

"He's stepped up a lot. He's one of those guys, he's so conscientious," McVay said after Thursday's joint practice with the Saints. "[OC] Nate [Scheelhaase] gave him a couple things. [Receivers coaches] Rob Calabrese and Yarbs [Ron Yarber] and Robert Woods, they talked about some things to take his game to another level, and he's done that. …

"But he's a sharp, savvy route runner. He's wired to be able to separate. He's catching the ball really well. And then he does a great job of competing without the football, which is super important for us. So I love everything M's about."

The short version: Mumpfield has reached "another level." That's all we needed to hear. Breakout incoming.

As McVay also touched on, young receivers like Mumpfield and Jordan Whittington have shone in Puka Nacua's absence as the latter nurses an injury from last week's joint practice against the Cowboys. That's very good news. With Nacua still facing a potential suspension to begin the year, the Rams may need Mumpfield and Co. more than ever. 

Konata Mumpfield is showing all the signs Rams hoped to see

They'll need someone to emerge as a No. 3 receiver regardless. After Nacua and Davante Adams, the depth chart remains undefined. The WR3 role is up for grabs among Mumpfield, Whittington, CJ Daniels, and Xavier Smith. Whoever, if anyone, earns that label to start the season, it could change as growth continues and roles evolve during the year.

Mumpfield is intriguing for all the reasons McVay outlines. He is an excellent route-runner, perhaps the best of the young bunch. He moves well off-the-ball, to borrow from NBA speak. In football terms, that means being a willing blocker and going all-out on his routes even when he's not expecting a pass his way. 

After Mumpfield converted less than half his targets as a rookie, committing two drops on 23 passes, it's also encouraging to hear that he's breaking out the Velcro hands. He's implementing the techniques and instructions from a coaching staff that would be any young wideout's dream. That Woods guy was a pretty successful receiver in McVay's offense.

He also has a quasi-coach and elite mentor in Adams, who has taken the Pittsburgh alum under his wing from the start and said he sees himself in elements of Mumpfield's game. When McVay references Mumpfield's space-creating abilities, give Adams some credit for his mentorship as a separation specialist. 

It certainly sounds like Mumpfield is ready to make the sophomore surge Rams fans hoped for. Just don't expect to see him much or at all in the remaining preseason games, as the team holds him back as one of its core contributors.

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