Rams Bag Cooper Kupp Replacement in NFL Re-Draft

In a recent NFL Re-Draft, the Los Angeles Rams were able to find a replacement for wide receiver Cooper Kupp.

Dec 19, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey (15) runs the ball against the Denver Broncos during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Rams landed one of the best players of the 2024 NFL Draft, without question, as they selected Florida State Seminoles edge rusher Jared Verse with the 19th overall pick.

Verse enjoyed a terrific rookie campaign, registering 66 tackles, 4.5 sacks, a couple of forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries en route to a Pro Bowl appearance. He also won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Beyond those numbers, the 24-year-old racked up 18 quarterback hits and posted a sparkling 86.2 overall grade at Pro Football Focus. So, yeah; the Rams drafted a stud.

Obviously, if there were a do-over, Verse would not fall all the way to No. 19, so Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team experimented with a 2024 NFL Re-Draft.

In Mosher's simulation, Verse jumped all the way up to the fourth pick, going to the Arizona Cardinals. Considering the Cardinals' dire need for a pass rusher, that certainly makes sense.

But what about Los Angeles? Who did the Rams select with Verse off the board?

Well, considering the recent news surrounding Cooper Kupp being on the trade block, they naturally went with a wide receiver, bagging Georgia Bulldogs star Ladd McConkey with the 19th pick.

"Jared Verse was selected at No. 4 in this re-draft, and Braden Fiske was considered for this pick," Mosher wrote. "That said, Ladd McConkey would be the perfect pairing with Puka Nacua, giving Matthew Stafford two dynamic weapons who get open and make plays after the catch."

McConkey was brilliant during his rookie year with the Los Angeles Chargers, hauling in 82 receptions for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns. He even showed big-play ability, averaging a very solid 14 yards per catch. He also posted a terrific catch rate of 73.2 percent.

Funny enough, McConkey has drawn comparisons to Kupp, who won the wide receiver Triple Crown back in 2021. There aren't many receivers in the NFL with the ability to do that, but McConkey could be one of them.

Mosher is right: a tandem of Nacua and McConkey would be absolutely lethal, and it would probably revitalize Stafford's career in 2025.

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