Being a rookie in the NFL can be overwhelming. Being a rookie receiver in Sean McVay’s offense is even more challenging.
Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp are among the Rams receivers to have an immediate impact as rookies, and Jordan Whittington will try to be the next. Lauded for his intelligence and work ethic, Whittington is unsurprisingly making a good first impression in OTAs this spring.
Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur discussed how quickly Whittington is picking things up, which isn’t necessarily easy with all of the nuances to McVay’s offense.
“First of all, all those rookies, we’re throwing them in a lot of different spots in a lot of different situations,” LaFleur said Tuesday. “Maybe some a little bit more than others, but he’s doing a great job. You can tell he’s really taking what he’s learning in the classroom to the field. I said it last year about Puka, but how beneficial for a young receiver to be in that room with a guy like (WRs coach Eric Yarber) ‘Yarbs’ and then obviously guys like Cooper Kupp and now Puka going into Year 2. What a blessing it is for those guys to be around people like them.”
Whittington told Stu Jackson of TheRams.com that he appreciates the help Kupp has provided in the first couple of weeks of OTAs, guiding the rookie receiver on how to learn McVay’s complex offense.
“It’s a lot of information in a short amount of time, so just trying to figure out how to be a professional, and I have like one of the best ones in my room,” Whittington said. “He’s a really good guy, and he’s not selfish with how he learns things. So him just teaching me how to learn and me just watching, I’ve been able to like learn different ways to learn throughout this process.”
Whittington was a sixth-round pick by the Rams this year and while there isn’t exactly a clear path to playing time, he’s expected to contribute early on as a special teams player. He could also get reps as a return specialist and with Ben Skowronek now out of the picture, Whittington may be a valuable receiver to have when the Rams run the ball thanks to his blocking ability.
Nacua, Kupp, Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell are projected to be the top four wideouts on the depth chart right now but if Whittington stands out in training camp and the preseason, he could get opportunities to play early in the season.
