The Rams third-year wideout has learned from a plethora of all-time great players to start his NFL career
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua has become a franchise pillar through his play and leadership since joining LA via the draft two years ago, but one of the things that has no doubt contributed to his success in the NFL is the incredible group of all-time great players and coaches he has found himself surrounded by. Names like Sean McVay, Aaron Donald and Matthew Stafford come to mind, and now with the team’s addition of WR Davante Adams this offseason, the luck of the draw is not lost on Nacua.
Speaking with The Insiders, Nacua talked about the opportunities he has had to learn from multiple all-pro players including Adams, as well as the Rams new look WR room.
“It’s definitely gonna be different,” Nacua said regarding the new WR group on Tuesday’s episode of The Insiders. “Davante, as soon as he stepped into the facility has been fantastic. The ability to learn from another all-time great has been — I feel like I’m stealing — I’m like a kid in the candy store. I’ve had Matthew Stafford, Sean McVay, Cooper Kupp and now Davante Adams. My life is pretty good, I can’t complain too much. It’s gonna be fun.
“We signed Tutu (Atwell) back. We’ve got some speed, we got a bunch of young guys who are excited to play. (No.) 17 is gonna lead the way for us, and it’s gonna be fantastic to be out there on the football field with him.”
Nacua, who only played in 11 games in 2024 due to injury, still finished the season just shy of 1,000 yards receiving (990) with 79 receptions and three touchdowns. It was clear that Nacua had become the future of the Rams WR room, which was reinforced when Los Angeles decided to move on from long-time staple WR Cooper Kupp this offseason. It was a tough choice among fans, but the addition of Adams helped ease the sting of the loss a bit.
In what was considered a down year, Adams was able to top 1000 yards receiving along with 85 receptions and eight touchdowns. He was able to accomplish this despite subpar quarterback play on two different teams (Adams was traded midseason from the Raiders to the Jets).
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There is immense optimism about what Adams can do with the Rams in 2025, as he now finds himself being coached by one of the best offensive minds in the league and surrounded by the best supporting casts he’s had in at least three years. Even being on the wrong side of 30, Adams is still considered to be one of the best route runners in the league. It’s one of the things that Nacua specifically hopes to improve on from watching his new teammate.
“Route running,” Nacua said. “His ability to change pace while he’s moving on the football field, the ability to win against negative leverage, his suddenness at the line of scrimmage, it’s fantastic to see. And to be able to see it in person and be lining up right next to him, it makes sure you have all the gas turned on when you’re going out there with No. 17.”
It’s not just Nacua who can stand to learn a thing or two from Adams. Fifth-year WR Tutu Atwell looks to finally have secured a starting position this year after being known mainly as a deep threat gadget. While Atwell has improved greatly in his route running over the years, Adams’ knowledge could be just what the young wideout needs to take the next step. Then there’s second-year player Jordan Whittington, who is also expected to make an impact on the field this year. Surely he could stand to learn a ton from someone long in the tooth like Adams, no matter how well he played in his rookie season.
Adams and Nacua joining forces in Los Angeles is a perfect example of the phrase “iron sharpens iron”. The Rams are hoping that both players elevate each other’s game, both this season and for the future. With training camp just around the corner, we could soon get some answers on if this offense will live up to the hype.