Rams may have drafted another Puka Nacua as Day 3 rookie shines at practice…

Rams may have drafted another Puka Nacua as Day 3 rookie shines at practice

[ramblinfan.com]

Mike Luciano



With the Los Angeles Rams having traded many of their top draft picks for veteran players over the last few years, Les Snead has needed to nail it with some of his mid-round and Day 3 picks. Despite shedding tons of salary last year, the Rams used those picks to slide into the postseason.

One of the main reasons the offense was able to bounce back after a down 2022 season was the addition of rookie sensation Puka Nacua. Taken with the final pick of the fifth round in the 2023 NFL Draft, Nacua instantly became a starter and set rookie records along the way.

The Rams have a tremendous 1-2 punch of Nacua and Cooper Kupp, but the depth behind those two is somewhat lacking. The WR3 spot is still very much up for grabs, and sixth-round rookie Jordan Whittington is doing everything he can to steal that spot for himself.

Whittington has already been earning first-team reps with the Rams, earning some praise from Kupp along the way. Kupp called Whittington "solid" and a "special dude" after his quick rise up the depth chart. Say what you will about Snead, but he knows how to find receivers in the draft.

Sixth-round rookie Jordan Whittington getting first-team reps with Rams

Whittington was overshadowed by his college teammates at Texas, as 2024 draftees Xavier Worthy (Chiefs), Adonai Mitchell (Colts), and Ja'Tavion Sanders (Panthers) were getting more looks than him. While Whittington hauled in 92 passes in his final two seasons with the Longhorns, he found the end zone just twice.

Whittington plays much bigger than his 6-1, 205-pound frame would suggest, and he is able to pair that with the route-running excellence Sean McVay demands from his wide receivers. If he can get open at the line of scrimmage, McVay will find a use for him.

The reason he fell this far stems from his athletic ability, or lack of same. Whittington has unimpressive top-end speed, and his iffy acceleration makes him a very limited player. However, many of those same criticisms were hurled at Nacua, and he's become one of the best young players in the game overnight.

With a quarterback like Matthew Stafford throwing him the ball, Whittington is going to get some opportunities to make plays in a high-powered offense. If Tutu Atwell begins to flatline, it should surprise no one if Whittington ends up taking snaps away from him later in the season.