NFL Draft

Puka Nacua Steals the Show in Cooper Kupp's Absence

The Rams' rookie wide receiver made the most of his opportunity in Sunday's regular-season opener.

Luke Easterling

Puka Nacua Steals the Show in Cooper Kupp's Absence
Puka Nacua Steals the Show in Cooper Kupp's Absence /
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Despite being just two years removed from a Super Bowl win, preseason projections weren't terribly kind to the Los Angeles Rams this year.

The news that star wide receiver Cooper Kupp would be going on injured reserve with a hamstring injury to start the season made those hopes sink even lower for the Rams' chances of success this season.

Then came Sunday's regular-season opener, on the road against the division-rival Seattle Seahawks. Despite Kupp's absence, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 334 yards as the Rams shocked Seattle with a 30-13 victory. 

The main beneficiary of Kupp not being present was rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua, who led the Rams with 10 receptions for 119 yards.

A fifth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of BYU, Nacua quickly established himself as Stafford's favorite option in the passing game, leading the team by far with a whopping 15 targets. No other receiver had more than eight.

The Rams are still hopeful Kupp will be able to return sooner than later, but the emergence of Nacua (as well as third-year receiver Tutu Atwell, who had 119 yards on six catches Sunday) should hold them over in the meantime.

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Luke Easterling
LUKE EASTERLING

Luke Easterling (he/him) has been covering college football and the NFL for more than two decades, with a particular focus on the nexus of both, the NFL Draft. Writing for some of the largest and most recognizable brands in sports media, Luke's experience and expertise in evaluating potential NFL prospects and evaluating team needs/fits has earned the appreciation of his readers, and the respect of his peers. Luke cut his sports journalism teeth at The Tampa Tribune before spending two years at Bleacher Report as a featured columnist covering the NFL Draft and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Luke then spent nearly seven years at USA TODAY Sports Media Group as editor of Draft Wire and Bucs Wire, building both into authoritative destination sites for their respective audiences. Now at The Arena Group, Luke covers the NFL and college football for Athlon Sports, and runs Sports Illustrated's FanNation site for the NFL Draft. A graduate of the University of South Florida, Luke has been a featured guest on ESPN Radio, CBS Sports Radio, Fox Sports Radio, SiriusXM and more.  Based in Tampa, Florida (the true home of the Cuban sandwich), Luke plays the drums, loves 2000s pop-punk, watches way too many British murder mystery shows, and channels the energy of his deep-south Grammy and his full-Italian Nana in the kitchen. Twitter: @lukeeasterling Email: luke.easterling@si.com

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