Cooper Kupp Keeps Rams Afloat in PFF Receiving Corps Rankings
For the Los Angeles Rams, wide receiver Cooper Kupp is the rising tide that lifts all boats.
Pro Football Focus recently ranked the top receiving corps in the NFL, a countdown that included the wide receivers, tight ends, and pass-catching running backs that each team employs. While coming in at No. 14 isn't remarkable on its own, PFF noted that if not for the presence of Kupp, the Rams would have been close to No. 32:
"It was pretty tough to place the Rams on this list. If you replace Cooper Kupp with even an above-average wide receiver, this is probably a bottom-five group in the league. But like the Justin Jefferson effect with Minnesota, Kupp is one year removed from one of the most insanely productive seasons we’ve seen, earning a 93.1 receiving grade with over 2,400 receiving yards on their Super Bowl run.
"Kupp does the heavy lifting here, but with him healthy, it’s hard to put this group much lower."
Despite being limited to just nine games a season ago by a right ankle injury, Kupp still came in at No. 6 on our crowded SI/FanNation countdown of the top 10 wide receivers in the NFL. That's because Kupp had 75 catches for 812 yards in the nine games he played a year ago, which followed up a season where he won the Super Bowl MVP after a regular season where he led the NFL in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and touchdown catches (16).
The problem, of course, is this is an especially thin group outside of Kupp.
Odell Beckham Jr. is long gone. Allen Robinson was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers after an extremely disappointing lone season with the Rams. Van Jefferson looked on the verge of a breakout in 2021 but struggled through an injury-riddled 2022 season where he caught just 24 passes in 11 games.
Fifth-round pick Puka Nacua has generated some buzz in his first offseason with the Rams, so there's hope that he will make an immediate impact. It also doesn't hurt that quarterback Matthew Stafford is healthy this offseason and will likely play in more than the nine games he did a season ago.
But make no mistake, this is a thin group of pass catchers. And even on a team with future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald, that may mean that Kupp is the most important player for the Rams if they hope to rebound from a 5-12 campaign a season ago.
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