Puka Nacua enters training camp as a key cog in the Rams offense after a historic rookie season

LOS ANGELES – After the first practice of Los Angeles Rams training camp, it’s clear that Puka Nacua is picking up right where he left off.

The second-year wide receiver had one of the best rookie years ever a season ago. The stats alone would jump off the page at anyone: 105 receptions for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns. Those numbers broke NFL rookie records for receptions and yards, making it clear the Rams have something special on their hands.

During the scrimmage portion of Wednesday’s training camp at Loyola Marymount University, Nacua had some impressive catches in traffic. One of them was on a corner, when he made an over-the-shoulder catch that drew applause from the fans. Another was a capture by Nacua in the middle of the field.

Rams coach Sean McVay was pleased with what he saw from Nacua throughout the day.

“Puka was great. I thought, you know, you can see he really did a great job this offseason,” McVay said after practice. “He and Cooper [Kupp] I really stayed on a really disciplined and detailed program. Got in shape. He appears physically robust. I thought it was a good start. You know, the only thing is this is the first day of training camp.

“But he really got off on the right foot. He made some great plays. I thought Matthew [Stafford] did a great job of going through some progressions. But [Nacua] He looked like the guy we counted on and we want to see him stack up another day tomorrow.”

Nacua training with Kupp in the offseason can only bring positive results. After all, despite Kupp’s injury history, it wasn’t that long ago that he won the triple crown and the 2021 NFL Offensive Player of the Year award and was viewed as one of, if not, the best receivers in the game.

Additionally, Nacua also spent the off-season focusing on making sure his body is right for next season. He supposedly turned body fat into muscle and lost 5 to 15 kilos.

The duo of Nacua and Kupp (assuming health), along with veteran Demarcus Robinson and fourth-year receiver Tutu Atwell, are a key part of a Rams offense that projects to once again be in the top 10 in the league. Last season they finished seventh in yards per game and there’s no reason they can’t be in that similar range again.

When asked about the Rams’ receiver room, quarterback Matthew Stafford talked about how they will impact not only the offense this year, but even the defense.

“I think what they expect of themselves is to go out there and compete at a high level, right?” Stafford said Wednesday. “And that’s with themselves, with each other, with the guy, you know, on the other side of the ball. It’s a really competitive room, which makes it great.

“I think Cooper [Kupp]Puka [Nacua], [Robinson]Tutu [Atwell], all those guys in there are just intrinsically motivated guys who go out there and work hard. They’re trying hard, they’re putting pressure on the guys in the room and, you know, in turn, putting pressure on our team because they’re improving our defense as well. So it’s a joy to have these guys and really put them on the map.”

While the receiving room will undoubtedly shine in a potential top-10 attack, Nacua has a good chance of becoming the star of the show. With Kupp’s injury history and the fact that he isn’t getting any younger at age 31, the second-year star will have plenty of opportunities as Stafford’s top target this year.

After a record-breaking rookie campaign that saw Nacua make the Pro Bowl and an All-Pro team, the future certainly looks bright for what could be the Rams’ WR1 for the foreseeable future.