It's not often that teams in any sport should find effective contributors, much less high-quality players, in the trenches of the draft. That doesn't seem to be a problem for the Los Angeles Rams, though, whose sixth-round draft pick Jordan Whittington put in an impressive performance in his NFL preseason debut. The former Texas Longhorn Whittington caught six passes for 74 yards, as the Rams defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 13-12, on their preseason opener last Sunday. His play certainly impressed Rams coach Sean McVay, who likened his potential to his star wide receiver Puka Nacua.
After calling Whittington a “mature rookie,” McVay had more praises for the young wideout.
“He played like a grown man with the ball in his hands [and] did a great job without it,” the coach said, per Sarah Barshop on X, formerly Twitter. “I just really like him. He's going to be a factor for us.”
The Rams' outlook
Despite struggling to protect the ball, thanks to quarterback Stetson Bennett's four interceptions, the Rams still managed to beat the Cowboys because of Jordan Whittington's huge game. One of his impressive catches came in the opening drive, where he broke a tackle and gained 30 yards after the catch. He also caught a 13-yard pass in the second play of the game, which certainly caught his coach's attention.
However, a good preseason game doesn't exactly assure Whittington of playing time during the 2024 season. The Rams have quite the logjam at the wideout position, as the depth chart shows Whittington behind the top three, composed of stars Nacua, Cooper Kupp, and Demarcus Robinson. Whittington is also playing behind Tutu Atwell at the fourth spot.
Moreover, Tyler Johnson also impressed the Rams during the summer, pushing Whittington even deeper down the lineup. Still, his preseason debut and McVay's post-game comments might convince the coach to keep him in the pocket for certain situations.
For instance, he could be good for injury insurance. The second-year receiver Puka Nacua still nurses a knee injury, while star wideout Cooper Kupp has dealt with various injuries throughout his NFL career.
The Rams look to improve on their 10-7 record last season, a tough grind-out season which started 3-6 and ended in the NFC Wild Card game where they lost to the Detroit Lions, 24-23. With this new addition to their arsenal, the team could inch closer toward greater success in the postseason. Still, Rams fans might want to tune in to the Rams' next preseason matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday before going all-in on the sixth-round draft pick.
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