Puka doesn’t get sufficient credit score

It took 177 picks for essentially the most helpful participant within the 2023 NFL Draft to return off the board. Is that why individuals are hesitant to confess that participant is Puka Nacua, the NFL’s present chief with 3.6 yards per route run, in accordance with Subsequent Gen Stats?

Coming off of a 5-12 season, their worst underneath Sean McVay, the Rams picked Nacua with the final choose of the fifth spherical, which was additionally L.A.’s fourth choose of that spherical alone. Few thought that the Rams had a necessity at broad receiver or that the 177th choose could be the one to switch Cooper Kupp if somebody needed to do it, however Nacua is as accountable for L.A.’s fast turnaround as another participant within the group.

The Rams went 10-7 final season, together with a helpful Week 1 win over the Seahawks (119 yards for Puka), as Puka saved the offense afloat whereas Kupp recovered from a coaching camp damage.

Then L.A. began 1-4 this season and wouldn’t you already know it, Puka Nacua solely performed 25 snaps in Week 1’s loss to the Lions and missed the subsequent 5 video games.

Since Puka Nacua returned to the lineup in Week 8, the Rams are 7-2 and he’s put up these numbers:

88 targets
65 catches
826 yards
3 TDs
39 dashing yards, 1 TD

If paced out to a 17-game season, Nacua could be on observe for 123 catches and 1,560 yards.

Nacua can be averaging +5 EPA per recreation in accordance with NFL’s Subsequent Gen Stats (Anticipated Factors Added), which ranks 2nd general in the complete NFL behind solely Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions. His 46.2 Yards After Catch per recreation is third behind solely Chris Godwin (injured weeks in the past) and Ja’Marr Chase.

For a receiver who set all types of data as a rookie in 2023, together with most catches and yards in a participant’s first season, a 123-catch season would put Nacua simply exterior the top-10 for finest such seasons of all time. Cooper Kupp is second all-time and first in Rams historical past with 145 catches in his historic 2021 season.

Now these two record-setters are teammates and probably one win away from making the playoffs collectively for the second time in two years.

Nacua is taking part in in his twenty eighth profession recreation this week in opposition to the Arizona Cardinals and he can be coming after Ja’Marr Chase for third-most yards via a participant’s first 28 video games:

He already has extra yards than Randy Moss had in his first 28 video games with the Minnesota Vikings.

Nacua’s bodily taking part in fashion is one in all his biggest benefits, but in addition an space of his recreation that the Rams should proceed to watch as a result of they want him and might’t afford to lose him for any playoff video games. Puka Nacua is not only a steal within the 2023 draft.

He’s been essentially the most helpful participant in the complete class to date too.