When the Los Angeles Rams drafted Washington Huskies wide receiver Puka Nacua with the 177th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, they couldn't have expected that Nacua would have the immediate success that he did. Nacua set single-season rookie records with 105 receptions and 1,486 yards, giving Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford a bonafide No. 1 option while veteran receiver Cooper Kupp was on the mend recovering from a lingering hamstring issue. Of course, for as impressive as Nacua was during his rookie season, he still wasn't in shouting distance of Kupp's best season as a Ram.
In 2021, Cooper Kupp set the Rams single-season records with 145 receptions and 1,947 yards. He also added 16 receiving touchdowns, one shy of the franchise record. It was one of the greatest seasons a wide receiver has ever had, and it was good enough that Kupp should've won the MVP Award — that's right, I said it!
Now, the Rams have one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL, and Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp have been attached at the hip throughout the offseason, working on ways to be even more dynamic in 2024. Recently, Nacua referred to Kupp as, “the big brother I didn't know I had,” and on Monday, Kupp returned the favor, offering a significant amount of praise to his second-year teammate.
“Puka's been great — it's really cool for him to say that, and I obviously very much appreciate that,” Kupp said on Monday, according to Nick Shook of NFL.com. “I just can't get rid of the guy.”
What Kupp is referring to is the tireless work ethic that Puka Nacua possesses that put him in the position to shine during his rookie season despite coming into training camp with limited expectations.
“He shows up to my house, he jumps in, I make him throw up, he still comes back. He comes over for dinner, I've got veggies all over his plate, he still comes back. He's resilient, this one,” Kupp joked. “He's been great, just his attitude. Obviously, you guys see just how he's such a positive dude all the time, takes things in stride and he's one of the best rally guys I've ever seen. Halfway through the workout he'll be on all fours throwing up but he always finishes a workout.”
Maybe the issue is Cooper Kupp is only feeding his “little brother” veggies. Perhaps a more balanced diet would lead to training outcomes that didn't involve as much throwing up.
Is Jordan Whittington the next Rams receiver to break out?
The Rams have a solid track record of finding mid-to-late round gems at wide receiver in the NFL Draft. You don't need to look any further than Puka Nacua (5th round) and Cooper Kupp (3rd round). The next man up in Los Angeles may be 6th round pick Jordan Whittington, who was a four-star prospect in high school whose collegiate career at Texas never really got off the ground due to various injuries.
Assigning these lofty expectations to Jordan Whittington or any rookie wide receiver for that matter wouldn't be fair, but either way, Cooper Kupp is just as focused on mentoring all of the young Rams receivers as he is on producing at an All-Pro level once again.
“I had a great mentor myself when I came in in Robert Woods, he took me under his wing, and he was who he was. He was going to pause it with me, he was going to teach, he was going to be an open book for me, and I just want to be the same thing for the guys coming in.”
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