LOS ANGELES — After the Los Angeles Rams’ first practice of training camp, it’s clear Puka Nacua is picking up where he left off.
The second-year wide receiver had one of the best rookie seasons of all time a season ago. The stats alone would be impressive to anyone: 105 receptions for 1,486 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Those numbers broke NFL rookie records for receptions and receiving yards, making it clear the Rams have something special on their hands.
During the practice portion of training camp Wednesday at Loyola Marymount University, Nacua had some impressive catches in traffic. One was an over-the-shoulder catch that drew cheers from the watching fans. Another was a diving catch by Nacua in the middle of the field.
Rams head coach Sean McVay was pleased with what he saw from Nacua during the day.
“Puka looked great. I think you can see he’s really done a great job this offseason,” McVay said after practice. “Him and Cooper (Kupp) have really stuck to a very disciplined and detailed program. He came in in shape. He looks physically strong. I think it was a good start. You know, the only thing is this is the first day of training camp.
“But he really got off on the right foot. He made some great plays. I thought Matthew (Stafford) did a great job of making some progressions. But (Nacua) looked like the guy we were counting on and we want to be able to see him put it together another day tomorrow.”
Nacua’s offseason training with Kupp could only yield positive results. After all, despite Kupp’s injury history, it wasn’t long ago that he won the triple crown as a receiver and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award in 2021 and was considered one of the best receivers in the game, if not the best.
Additionally, Nacua also spent the offseason focusing on making sure his body is in condition for the upcoming season. reportedly He turned body fat into muscle and lost 10 to 15 pounds.
The duo of Nacua and Kupp (assuming they’re healthy), along with veteran Demarcus Robinson and fourth-year receiver Tutu Atwell, are a key part of a Rams offense that projects to be in the league’s top 10 again. Last season, they finished seventh in yards per game and there’s no reason they shouldn’t be in that similar range again.
When asked about the Rams’ receiving room, quarterback Matthew Stafford talked about how they’re going to impact not only the offense this year, but the defense as well.
“I think what they expect of themselves is to go out there and compete at a high level, right?” Stafford said Wednesday. “And that’s with themselves, with each other, against the guy, you know, all over the field. It’s a really competitive space, which makes it great.
“I think Cooper (Kupp), Puka (Nacua), (Robinson), Tutu (Atwell), all those guys that are out there are intrinsically motivated guys that go out there and work hard. They push themselves, they push guys on the court and, you know, in turn they push our team because they’re improving our defense as well. So it’s a joy to have those guys and really put them on the map.”
While the receiving corps will certainly shine in a potential top-10 offense, Nacua has a good chance of becoming the star of the show. With Kupp’s injury history and the fact that he’s not getting any younger at 31, the second-year star will get plenty of opportunities as Stafford’s top target this year.
After a record-breaking rookie campaign that saw Nacua make a Pro Bowl and an All-Pro team, the future certainly looks bright for what could be the Rams’ WR1 for the foreseeable future.
