Getting to know Los Angeles Rams overnight sensation Puka Nacua

The Los Angeles Rams seemed like they were in big trouble when All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp went down with a hamstring injury during the preseason. As it turns out, his absence has opened the door for Puka Nacua to show what he could do with an expanded opportunity. The rookie pass catcher has been better than anyone could have expected.

Makea(Puka) Nacua was born in May 2001 in Las Vegas to parents Lionel and Penina. He also has an older brother Kai, who has bounced around the NFL as a defensive back. His mother immigrated from West Samoa in her earlier years, and instilled a sense of togetherness that the Nacua clan still exhibits to this day.

Nacua was obsessed with football as a kid, but realized that he didn’t have overpowering physical traits. As a result, he would have to use his speed and instincts to create separation at the line of scrimmage. He would study smaller professional receivers in order to mimic their movements.

Nacua started his college career at the University of Washington. He made the most of his chances to shine, but they were few and far between. Despite an average catch depth of nearly 20 yards, Nacua only caught 16 passes in two years for Washington. He also only played in three games during his sophomore year due to injury.

Some might have thought that Nacua should try to stick it out in the Pac-12, but he wanted to transfer to a school that would give him more playing time. BYU saw what Nacua could provide, and fed him the football as an upperclassman. He caught 91 passes in his last two years in college, including 11 touchdowns.

At best, it seemed like Nacua was going to be a late Day NFL draft pick. Evaluators believed that while he displayed competitiveness to fight for the ball in the air, he would also have trouble shedding tight press coverage at the next level. It was also said that he would be easily pushed off of his route.

Behind Kupp, the Rams did not have a lot of depth in their wide receiver room heading into the offseason. As such, Los Angeles spent a fifth-round draft pick on Nacua. This was a higher investment than many thought they should make at the time, but the landing spot gave the former BYU receiver a chance to make an immediate NFL impact.

With Kupp sitting out, Nacua did his best to soak up advice from his star teammate, while also displaying the unique ability he had. Veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford saw that Nacua wasn’t afraid to fight for the ball in contested areas, which gave the passer confidence in his new young teammate.

It’s still very early in Nacua’s NFL career, but he couldn’t have gotten off to a much better start. He’s been a target and reception machine since the season began, and figures to have a role in the Rams offense even if/when Kupp returns to the lineup. It could be a tandem that gives defenses many things to think about heading into gameday.