Wide receiver Puka Nacua had a record-breaking rookie season in the NFL. Despite being a fifth-round draft pick — 177th overall — he quickly rose to superstardom. He showed signs flashes of his potential even amidst unfortunate injuries and the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. Looking back, it’s clear that the NFL should have recognized Puka Nacua’s potential as a star player.
The NFL Should Have Known Puka Nacua Would Be A Star
The University of Washington and Puka Nacua
On National Signing Day in 2019, Puka Nacua flipped his commitment from USC to Washington. In his first three games in 2019, Nacua had seven receptions for 168 yards and two touchdowns. This unexpected start would be a glimpse into his future with the Los Angeles Rams, highlighted by a 49-yard reception against Arizona in which he looks reminiscent of the player he is today.
Unfortunately, a fractured left foot in practice snuffed out the rest of his freshman season, but not before expectations were set. After the 51-27 breakout win over Arizona, University of Washington’s coach, Chris Peterson, told Seattle Times’s Mike Vorel, “I think he (Nacua) caught every kind of ball in high school. So we’re still kind of figuring him out. But he is a big body, and he’s got tremendous hands. He does. That’s the one thing that we’re learning. If you get it around him, he’s got those strong hands that can attack the ball.”
Before Puka Nacua could return to a football field in 2020, COVID-19 erased spring workouts and jeopardized the season. Nacua stayed home in Utah with his family while recovering from his foot fracture. He trained to become stronger, putting on ten more pounds for the next season while training with Ross Apo, a renowned ex-BYU receiver. Apo trains receivers in Utah and prepares them for the next level. The Athletic’s Alika Jenner interviewed Apo, and he had an ironic-in-retrospect memory of Nacua, “Puka’s like, ‘Those 50-50 balls, those are the ones we’ve got to come down with. I’ve got to fix it and come down with it next time. If he does P.I. me, I can bring the ball in.” Nacua was a renowned contested catch receiver in his first year with the Rams. He showed that he could make tough catches during his historic rookie year.
Back in Washington for the 2020 season, in which COVID limited the PAC-12 to only four games, Nacua had nine catches for 151 yards and one touchdown in the three games he appeared in. Admittedly missing home, Nacua entered the transfer portal and returned to Utah, where he had rehabbed. He would go on to say he realized it was all about family. Not football. In 2021, Puka Nacua and his brother Samson Nacua transferred to BYU.
Brigham Young University and Puka Nacua
At BYU, Nacua would finally get an extended opportunity to show the physical evolution he has made since 2019. In his 2021 season, Nacua had 43 receptions for 805 yards and six touchdowns. He once again showed a propensity for making tough catches through all areas of the field. Nacua had four 100-yard games that year and missed four games with injury.
Per Pro Football Focus, he was second in NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) with 3.44 yards per route run (YPRR), representing the average yards a player makes for each route. A high YPRR shows a receiver’s efficiency, ability to separate from defenders consistently, and ability to find open space. Nacua, once again, made plays downfield just like he would in the NFL. Of his 805 yards, 61% of them came on catches 20+ yards downfield. His average depth of target (aDOT) was 16.7, good for 9th in FBS.
A consistent trait lauded throughout each spot, Puka Nacua caught on quickly. Nacua would earn high praise from his high school coach, Jeremy Hill, who spoke about when he met Nacua, “He picked up the offense in a day, picked up the defense in a day. He was sort of LeBron James-esque, where you could teach him 11 spots. He knew all 11.” This knack for starting quickly would, one day, show itself again.
Puka Nacua was right where he belonged, with his family in Utah, and his play represented that. In 2022, he was PFF’s highest-graded receiver. He also had shown impressive dominance as a carrier. He ranked first amongst receivers in yards after contact with at least 25 rushes and led all receivers with five rushing touchdowns. Nacua would declare for the draft after the season, hoping to be a day-two pick.
Success In the NFL
After sustaining a concussion, Puka Nacua missed two critical events in the NFL draft cycle: the Senior Bowl game and the NFL Combine. Before the injury, he participated in Senior Bowl practices and blew scouts away. His next chance to show his abilities would come from visits and his BYU pro day. On his pro day, Nacua further cemented his status as a film darling by running a slow 4.57 40-yard dash. Testing poorly would keep a lid on his draft stock for the rest of the process. With his consistent injury issue and subpar athletic testing, Puka Nacua was projected to be drafted in rounds six or seven.
After waiting until the fifth round, the Los Angeles Rams picked Puka Nacua 177th in the draft. He would be a finalist for Offensive Rookie of the Year, setting multiple records. Puka Nacua holds the records for receptions in a season (105), receiving yards in a rookie season (1486), rookie receptions in a game (15), and receiving yards by a rookie in a game (181). The Rams shared a video of their coach, Sean McVay, being asked about Nacua’s predraft traits. He said, “The toughness, the aggressive hands, just the competitor. And you could see with many of the different things he was asked to do, the football acumen and I.Q., you had to guess was high before you even talked to him based on the versatility of his game.”
Puka Nacua isn’t favored to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, mainly due to Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud‘s emergence as an elite asset. Still, he has quickly surpassed his 2024 receiver class. Nacua is going into 2024 as the Rams’ number-one wide receiver, and his sight is set on even more records.
Main Image: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
