Puka Nacua was incredibly difficult for any cornerback to cover last season, and it didn’t matter much which route he was running. Whether it was an out route, a fade or a hitch, Nacua simply found ways to get open and make plays after the catch.
As good as he was running several different routes, he was particularly good on one particular pattern: the crosser.
According to Pro Football Focus, Nacua was the best receiver in the NFL on crossers. He earned a grade of 98.5 on such patters, leading the league with 441 yards on those plays. The next-closest receiver had 261 yards on crossing routes, so Nacua was far and away the best.
CROSSING: PUKA NACUA, LOS ANGELES RAMS (98.5)
The Rams rookie led the way on crossing routes, with his 441 yards including the playoffs coming in 180 yards more than the next-best receiver.
Nacua will likely try to expand his route tree in 2024 now that he has a year of NFL experience under his belt but the Rams are also going to stick with what works. Expect to see him still running a bunch of crossing routes where he can separate from man coverage or find soft spots in the zones.
