The wide receiver position was a known area of the roster that the Los Angeles Rams could address during the 2023 NFL draft. After attacking other positions with previous picks, the Rams took wide receiver Puka Nacua with the 177th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Nacua wasn’t a highly-touted prospect and he doesn’t have the most athletic profile at the wide receiver position. After having a limited role at Washington in his first two years of college, Nacua transferred to BYU in 2021 and received an expanded role.
At BYU, Nacua totaled 91 receptions, 1,430 yards, and 11 receiving touchdowns in the passing game. He also was utilized in the ground game with 39 rushing attempts for 357 yards and five rushing touchdowns in his two years playing for the Cougars.
The Rams love to take players that attend the Senior Bowl and Nacua played for the National Team in Mobile, Alabama earlier this offseason. Following a successful finish to his collegiate career, Nacua is set to turn 23 years old near the end of May.
When Robert Woods was released by the Tennessee Titans earlier this offseason, many fans wanted the Rams to reunite with the veteran wideout before he signed with the Houston Texans. While Nacua doesn’t provide the Rams with the run-blocking ability that Woods did, he could carve out a similar role with time.
Nacua saw plenty of jet-sweeps at BYU and he displays an ability to create with the ball in his hands despite lacking the speed to create consistent separation at the wide receiver position. That being said, Nacua does excel in contested-catch situations, making him a vertical threat for Matthew Stafford.
For the Rams, Nacua will likely slot in behind Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, and Tutu Atwell on the depth chart. We’ve seen the Rams try to add wide receivers in recent years that could bring versatility to the offense and Nacua fits that mold in this year’s draft as a fifth-round selection.
