Tutu Atwell is among a handful of wide receivers on the Los Angeles Rams that is competing for the No. 3 role on the depth chart behind Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson. With the Rams wanting to see more from all of their wideouts, the team’s wide receivers coach Eric Yarber indicated that Atwell has seen snaps in different positions during training camp.
“That gives him great ownership of the offense, Tutu playing all the spots (and) moving around,” Yarber said via The Athletic. “It helps his development big time. He gets to learn the intricacies of the offense from every position’s perspective, and he’s been doing a great job. He takes pride in it, in being a smart athlete. … He’s a very sharp individual.”
Atwell is certainly an undersized wide receiver, and he was viewed as more of a gadget player than a true wideout when the Rams took him with the 57th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. The speedy pass catcher was utilized as a vertical threat last season, producing 16.6 yards per reception on only 18 catches.
While Atwell’s skillset fits more as a deep threat out of the slot, Sean McVay prefers to have his wide receivers capable of contributing in multiple areas. So if a player can’t play in a variety of spots and run block, then it’s hard for said player to see consistent opportunities with the starting offense.
The third-year receiver is competing alongside rookie Puka Nacua, Demarcus Robinson, Ben Skowronek, and Tyler Johnson for snaps in the offense. It’s been a shaky start to Atwell’s career thus far, but if he can prove he’s capable of moving around and contributing in the run game, he could see an expanded role in 2023.
