One of the biggest surprises from the 2023 rookie class in the NFL has been Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, drafted in the fifth round out of BYU this year.
Nacua has set rookie records to start a career, records that had stood since 2003 and set by former Arizona Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin.
Buy Cardinals TicketsRams’ rookie WR Puka Nacua has 39 receptions and surpassed Anquan Boldin and his 30 receptions in 2003 for the most receptions ever by a player in his first four NFL games. Nacua also surpassed Reggie Bush and his 34 receptions in 2006 for the most receptions by a player in his…
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 2, 2023
With nine receptions for 163 yards and his first NFL touchdown on Sunday (a game-winner in overtime), Nacua now has 39 catches for 501 yards through only four games. Even before his fifth game, he has more than the five-game record of 34 receptions by Reggis Bush in 2006.
As Schefter noted in his tweet from Sunday, Nacua broke the NFL rookie record of 30 receptions through four games that Boldin set 20 years ago in his rookie season. His 501 yards surpasses Boldin’s 464 yards in his first four games.
Boldin finished his rookie season with 101 receptions for 1,377 yards and eight touchdowns.
Nacua is on pace for 166 receptions and more than 2,000 receiving yards. That pace will assuredly slow as Cooper Kupp is expected back from injured reserve soon.
Until then, though, it appears the Rams have gotten themselves a steal, perhaps the biggest steal of the entire 2023 draft.
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