Rams' Nacua Talks with Raiders' Crosby on Being Drafted

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua talked with Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby about what it was like to be selected in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Often, the third day of the NFL Draft is when teams look for quality depth to fill out their roster. 

Rarely do they expect to find star players who become foundational pieces. 

That is what happened when the Las Vegas Raiders selected defensive end Maxx Crosby out of Eastern Michigan in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft . The same happened when the Los Angeles Rams selected wide receiver Puka Nacua out of BYU in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Crosby hit the ground running, posting 10 sacks in his rookie season. He has since developed into one of the best defensive players in the NFL. Nacua posted nearly 1,500 receiving yards and six touchdowns en route to an Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist finish. 

Appearing on the latest episode of Crosby's podcast, "The Rush with Maxx Crosby," Nacua talked about what it was like to be drafted and trying to earn his spot.

“Coming in, I just remember being drafted, my agent was like, ‘Yeah, they have [Cooper Kupp] and Van Jefferson, but that third receiver is up for grabs,’” Nacua said. “I was just like, ‘I’m just glad someone took me.’ Going in the fifth round – my brothers both played in the league undrafted. My brother bounced around teams for like six years. So, I’d seen the business side and the journey of how important and lucky you are to be drafted, kind of what that means, especially if you can go in the earlier rounds.

“Getting drafted was like, ‘Oh, man, I’m so excited. ' But then, the third position was open, and that’s where I was like, ‘Man, I’m just going to go one day at a time.’ That’s my motto. I have to show up every single day and prove to them that I belong here.

Nacua mentioned that the Rams passed on him a few times before eventually selecting him in the fifth round. He has a similar underdog mindset to Crosby, and if he can hone into it like Crosby does each year, he will be a problem for defenses for years to come.

Click here to watch the full podcast episode with Crosby and Nacua.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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