No one could have predicted that after four weeks, fifth-round rookie Puka Nacua would be the NFL’s leader in targets and receptions. He’s in the company of Justin Jefferson, Keenan Allen, Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill in several receiving categories, and he’s coming off his best game yet after catching nine passes for 163 yards and his first career touchdown – a walk-off score in overtime against the Colts.
It’s reminiscent of another impressive start we saw by a Rams receiver just a couple of years ago: Cooper Kupp in 2021. That year, Kupp won the receiving Triple Crown, leading the NFL in receptions, yards and touchdowns. He won Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl MVP in what was statistically one of the best seasons ever by a wideout.
Buy Rams TicketsYet, it’s Nacua who’s actually opened the year with better numbers, putting him on pace to break Calvin Johnson’s single-season receiving record of 1,964 yards set in 2012.
Here’s how Nacua’s first four games compare to Kupp’s in 2021.
- Nacua: 52 targets, 39 receptions, 501 yards, 1 TD
- Kupp: 46 targets, 30 receptions, 431 yards, 5 TDs
Nacua even has better numbers than Johnson’s in 2012 when he set the record in just 16 games.
- Nacua: 52 targets, 39 receptions, 501 yards, 1 TD
- Johnson: 43 targets, 29 receptions, 423 yards, 1 TD
Nacua is averaging 125.3 yards per game this season, which is better than Johnson’s pace of 122.8 yards per game in 2012. And with the regular season being 17 games now, that puts Nacua on pace for 2,130 yards this season.
It’s hard to imagine him keeping that up, especially with Kupp coming back potentially this week, but there’s no denying Nacua is off to one of the best starts ever. Only 16 players in NFL history have ever had more yards through four games in a season than Nacua does, and no one has ever had more yards than his 501 to start a career.
Kupp was on record watch in 2021 and Nacua could be this season, too.
