Cooper Kupp remains one of the premier wide receivers in the NFL, which is why it’s tough to rank the Los Angeles Rams too low when speaking about receiving corps. In a recent article, the Rams’ receiving corps was ranked as the 14th-best in the NFL by PFF’s Trevor Sikkema.
Here is what Sikkema said about the Rams’ receiving group ahead of the 2023 campaign:
It was pretty tough to place the Rams on this list. If you replace Cooper Kupp with even an above-average wide receiver, this is probably a bottom-five group in the league. But like the Justin Jefferson effect with Minnesota, Kupp is one year removed from one of the most insanely productive seasons we’ve seen, earning a 93.1 receiving grade with over 2,400 receiving yards on their Super Bowl run.
Van Jefferson is a solid player, and Tyler Higbee has been an underrated tight end with over 500 yards in each of his last four seasons.
Kupp does the heavy lifting here, but with him healthy, it’s hard to put this group much lower.
When healthy, Kupp is one of the best wideouts in the NFL. While the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year missed eight games in 2022, he was on pace for 142 receptions, 1,534 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns on 185 targets.
Besides Kupp, the Rams have a handful of unproven or inexperienced pass-catchers. Van Jefferson and Tyler Higbee are solid players, but Tutu Atwell, Ben Skowronek, rookie Puka Nacua, Tyler Johnson, and Demarcus Robinson are all competing for roles in the offense.
The good news for the Rams is that Kupp appears to be trending upward in his recovery after undergoing ankle surgery in the offseason. Despite turning 30 years old recently, Kupp is the primary reason why many still believe the Rams have a receiving corps that is in the top half of the league.
