Together, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua give the Rams one of the best wide receiver tandems in the NFL. But individually, it seems coaches and executives around the NFL don’t view them as top-10 wideouts compared to their peers.
ESPN polled NFL coaches, executives and scouts on the top wide receivers in the league and neither Kupp nor Nacua were ranked in the top 10. Kupp earned an honorable mention, so he was just outside the 10 best wideouts in the eyes of the league’s talent evaluators, but Nacua was only one of the players “also receiving votes.” Therefore, there were at least 18 wide receivers ranked ahead of Nacua and 10 ranked higher than Kupp.
Here’s what was said about Kupp, who has had back-to-back down years since his Triple Crown season in 2021.
Kupp ranks fourth in Rams history with 7,066 receiving yards. He’s been hampered by injuries the past two seasons but is still productive. “Hasn’t been quite the same as the player from that triple crown season (2021) but still a high-level player — will have a lower target share with emergence of Puka [Nacua],” an AFC executive said.
There’s no question Nacua was one of the 10 best receivers in the league last season, but perhaps there’s some skepticism about whether it’s sustainable. That’s fair considering he was a fifth-round rookie who broke out unexpectedly with the best rookie season ever by a receiver, but Nacua showed plenty of reasons he can continue to play at a high level.
The interesting thing to watch this season is the dynamic between Kupp and Nacua now that both players are fully healthy. Will Matthew Stafford go back to Kupp being his top wideout, or will Nacua maintain that title and gobble up most of the targets?
Either way, the Rams are in excellent shape. They have one of the best receiving groups in football, especially if Demarcus Robinson picks up where he left off last season, and the offensive line will give Stafford plenty of time to hit his open receivers down the field.
Kupp and Nacua may not be individually ranked as top-10 wideouts, but the sum of the parts is up there with the league’s best.
