Thanks to a roster purge this offseason, the Los Angeles Rams went from fielding a team filled with Pro Bowlers to one with very few recognizable names for casual fans outside of Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald.
Despite parting with players such as Jalen Ramsey, Bobby Wagner and Leonard Floyd, the Rams had four players selected to the Pro Bowl this year – an impressive feat for Sean McVay’s squad. Among them? Fifth-round rookie Puka Nacua.
No one predicted he’d make the Pro Bowl before the season began, but he’s put together one of the best rookie campaigns ever. Considering how late he was drafted and the fact that he plays in an offense that’s been dominated by Cooper Kupp, his inclusion on the NFC roster was fantastic to see.
It was also a rare accomplishment for a fifth-round rookie.
🗣️PRO 🗣️BOWL 🗣️PUKA
Congrats to @AsapPuka on making the Pro Bowl in his rookie season! 👏 pic.twitter.com/Fjs2qRGRyc
— x – Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) January 4, 2024
Since 1994, only five other non-kickers have been selected to the Pro Bowl as a rookie drafted in the fifth round or later. Better yet, only two of them – Riq Woolen (2022) and Jordan Howard (2016) were selected for their accomplishments on offense or defense. The other three – Tyreek Hill (2016), Marc Mariani (2010) and Johnny Knox (2009) – were selected as return specialists.
In total, 41 other players drafted in the fifth round or later have made the Pro Bowl as a rookie, excluding kickers and punters, and 13 of them were selected as a specialist in the return game.
Furthermore, Nacua is only the 15th non-kicker drafted specifically in the fifth round to make the Pro Bowl as a rookie and just the eighth since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970. It’s not a very long list,
| Rk | Player | Round | Pick | College | Season | Age | Team | G | GS | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riq Woolen | 5 | 153 | UTSA | 2022 | 23 | SEA | 17 | 17 | CB |
| 2 | Tyreek Hill | 5 | 165 | West Alabama | 2016 | 22 | KAN | 16 | 1 | WR |
| 3 | Jordan Howard | 5 | 150 | Indiana | 2016 | 22 | CHI | 15 | 13 | RB |
| 4 | Johnny Knox | 5 | 140 | Abilene Christian | 2009 | 23 | CHI | 15 | 0 | WR |
| 5 | Tyrone Hughes | 5 | 137 | Nebraska | 1993 | 23 | NOR | 16 | 0 | DB |
| 6 | Dave Meggett | 5 | 132 | Towson | 1989 | 23 | NYG | 16 | 2 | RB |
| 7 | Bobby Joe Edmonds | 5 | 126 | Arkansas | 1986 | 22 | SEA | 15 | 0 | RB |
| 8 | Jim Kiick | 5 | 118 | Wyoming | 1968 | 22 | MIA | 14 | 13 | RB |
| 9 | Sid Blanks | 5 | 38 | Texas A&M–Kingsville | 1964 | 24 | HOU | 14 | 14 | HB |
| 10 | Billy Wells | 5 | 56 | Michigan State | 1954 | 23 | WAS | 12 | 12 | RH |
| 11 | Fred Williams | 5 | 56 | Arkansas | 1952 | 23 | CHI | 12 | 12 | LDT |
| 12 | Al Blozis | 5 | 38 | Georgetown | 1942 | 23 | NYG | 11 | 11 | RT |
| 13 | Ray Apolskis | 5 | 32 | Marquette | 1941 | 22 | CRD | 11 | 7 | C |
| 14 | Harry Smith | 5 | 36 | Southern California | 1940 | 22 | DET | 10 | 8 | RT |
The Rams found a gem in the fifth round when they selected Nacua, who was taken with the final pick in that round this year. This is likely to be the first of many Pro Bowls for Nacua during his career, and he’s already exceeded all expectations as a Day 3 pick.
On Sunday, he can further cement his place in history by breaking the rookie records for the most receptions and receiving yards in one season, needing only four catches and 29 yards in order to set those records.
