Last season's 5-12 record was a disaster for Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams, especially coming off of a Super Bowl victory. The team struggled down the stretch as Stafford missed seven games due to a spinal contusion.

Now healthy, Stafford says he feels refreshed, allowing the team to focus on upcoming challenges in offseason team workouts (OTAs).

Already, the play of two rookie skill players has caught Stafford's eye, according to this past Tuesday's press conference.

The first is Puka Nacua, a fifth-round pick out of BYU by the Rams. Nacua is a big target for Stafford at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, and seems poised to become a contributor.

The Rams were led by star wide receiver Cooper Kupp's 812 receiving yards last season. The next highest receiver was Ben Skowronek with just 376 yards. Van Jefferson is expected to return as the WR2, but the team needs more production.

It could come from the rookie.

“Puka has done a nice job,” Stafford said. “He's gotten some reps really in all three groups.

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“Every time I look up, he's running around somewhere. So, he's done a nice job, made some catches for us.”

Stafford praised rookie running back Zach Evans, a sixth-rounder out of Ole Miss. Cam Akers led the Rams with 786 yards rushing last season, but the team needs depth.

“I know he is doing a great job just trying to learn as much as he can,” Stafford said about Evans. “This is a complex system that a lot of people come in from college, step into and go, ‘Holy cow this is a lot.'

‘So you're just doing everything you can to work hard, be here, and try to soak it up.”

The Rams will open the 2023 regular season with a road game against the Seattle Seahawks on September 10.