Rams and Seahawks fans can share rare laugh where they least expected to

Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks fans tend to stay on opposite sides of the hedge. Nowhere is that divide more vehement than in the debate over which of the Rams' Puka Nacua and Seattle's Jaxon Smith-Njigba can rightfully be called the NFL's No. 1 receiver. 

So it's somewhat alarming that any conversation involving those two would provide a cause for unity. That it does, however, courtesy of ESPN's receiver rankings. 

The list, as influenced by league personnel from front offices and coaching staffs: 

1. Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals
2. Justin Jefferson, Vikings

Whoa there, hold on a second. Is this 2026 we're talking? Surely there's been some mistake. I don't see the reigning Offensive Player of the Year or last season's most dominant receiver - who by some measures had the most dominant receiving season ever - anywhere. 

Anyway, JSN ranks third and Nacua comes in fourth. Okay, then. Got it.

Scrambled rankings provide rare cause for Rams-Seahawks solidarity 

It's probably not necessary to re-litigate either Smith-Njigba's or Nacua's case as the league's WR1. It's probably not necessary to compare their 2025 seasons with, in admittedly more difficult circumstances, those of Chase and Jefferson. 

While it's really not needed, here is a side-by-side, anyway, merely for reference's sake:

Chase: 125 catches, 1,412 receiving yards, eight touchdowns, 73 first downs, 15 big gains (receptions of 20+ yards), 88.3 yards per game 

Jefferson: 84 catches, 1,048 yards, 2 TDs, 47 FDs, 12 big gains, 61.6 yards/game

Smith-Njigba: 110 catches, 1,793 yards, 10 TDs, 79 FDs, 27 big gains, 105.5 yards/game

Nacua: 129 catches, 1,715 yards, 10 TDs, 80 FDs, 27 big gains, 107.2 yards/game

No one would argue that Chase and Jefferson had more advantageous situations than JSN and Nacua. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow missed most of the season with turf toe and wasn't healthy when he played. Chase caught passes from a 40-year-old Joe Flacco and career backup Jake Browning. 

In Minnesota, Jefferson made do with JJ McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer. Yikes. Former Rams running back Cam Akers led the team in passer rating thanks to a 32-yard touchdown strike on his only throw.

Track records count. Jefferson is off to one of the best six-year starts to an NFL career in league history. That said, his production over the last three seasons is not close to Nacua's. His 2022 campaign is the only one that rivals either JSN's or Nacua's 2025 season.

Chase had a spectacular 2024 season. Again, though, his three-year production isn't quite where Nacua's is, even considering the latter's six-game injury absence two years ago.

It's early, of course, but through three seasons he sits atop the NFL's all-time leaderboard with 95.3 receiving yards per contest, followed by Jefferson (90.2) and Chase (87.7).

At least in theory, PFF grades should separate, to some degree, receivers from their quarterbacks. Jefferson ranked 14th out of 81 eligible wideouts last season with a mark of 80.5. Chase finished fourth. 

Guess who finished first and second? That's right, Nacua and JSN, respectively. Nacua's 96.3 was the highest-ever in PFF's 20-year existence.

Perhaps the tickling-est tidbit in ESPN's list is this revelation, penned by analyst Jeremy Fowler, on Smith-Njigba's reputation: "That was a common refrain from voters: When game-planning, Smith-Njigba doesn't strike fear in coaches like some others do."

In that case, they'd better start being a bit more fearful.

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