Puka Nacua Injury Exposes Rams’ Decision to Ignore Wide Receiver Depth

Heading into the offseason, the Los Angeles Rams had a need at the WR3 position on offense. However, they didn’t address the position in free agency and during the draft, they focused on the future as they didn’t have any immediate needs. The only wide receiver the Rams added during the draft was CJ Daniels in the sixth round.

While the Rams could have added a free agent later in the summer, such as Stefon Diggs or Keenan Allen, they opted not to do so. The only move the Rams made at wide receiver was trading running back Jarquez Hunter for Tutu Atwell.

As the Rams head into their Week 2 matchup against the New York Giants, their wide receiver depth could be put to the ultimate test. Wide receiver Puka Nacua popped up on the injury report on Friday with a hip injury. According to reports, Nacua is trending toward not playing on Monday Night. Additionally, Nacua’s backup Jordan Whittington, is listed as doubtful with a quadriceps injury.

If the Rams are without Nacua and Whittington, that would leave Xavier Smith, Konata Mumpfield, CJ Daniels, and Tutu Atwell behind Davante Adams. That group leaves a lot to be desired, with players who either have limited skill sets or remain unproven.

The Rams’ Draft Approach Was Defensible

Some may point to the Rams not addressing the position during the draft and instead taking a quarterback and depth tight end with their top two picks. With that said, the Rams had one of the strongest rosters in the NFL. It was always highly unlikely that a rookie would contribute significantly on this roster. The Rams are also in a spot where they don’t want to have to rely on a rookie in a big moment during the season.

Had the Rams taken a wide receiver in the first round, at most, that player would have been the third wide receiver. Some will point to the Rams not taking wide receiver Makai Lemon at 13th overall. Still, it’s not as if the Rams offense is missing Lemon’s three receptions for -5 yards that he put up in Week 1. By all accounts, Lemon struggled throughout training camp and the offseason program with the Philadelphia Eagles.

An argument can certainly be made that the Rams should have taken KC Concepcion in the first round, as he could have provided some special teams value as a returner. They could have also taken Antonio Williams over Max Klare late in the second round. Still, if the Rams were leaning into heavier tight end packages, it was fair to question what the value of the third wide receiver in the offense would be.

With that said, as it has been reported, taking Ty Simpson opened the door for the Rams to trade for Myles Garrett. Klare may be the TE6 this season, but with Davis Allen and Colby Parkinson set to hit free agency and Tyler Higbee getting older, there will be a need for a tight end next season.

As much as fans look at immediate needs in the draft, teams have to play the long game and consider future needs. If teams only address immediate needs in the draft, the result is constantly chasing needs that may not align with their future roster construction.

Again, that’s not to say that the Rams did the right thing by not addressing the wide receiver position to the extent they arguably should have. They had chances to sign veteran players in Diggs, Allen, and others and instead opted to trade for Atwell.

Rams’ Tutu Atwell Trade Remains a Head-Scratcher

The move for Atwell is the real head-scratcher as he simply doesn’t provide any value to the roster. Atwell found himself behind Smith and Mumpfield on the depth chart last season as he was phased out of the offense. That situation didn’t change during the offseason. Instead, the Rams traded for a WR7 that is set to be inactive more weeks than not. That was the case in Week 1 against the 49ers.

At this point, it’s unrealistic to expect anything from Atwell. He had a bad offseason with the Miami Dolphins to the point where he was a likely cut candidate. Atwell hasn’t had more than two receptions in a game since Week 18 of 2024, when the Rams rested many of their starters. Six years into the Atwell experiment and we’re past the point of “if he’s used more, he can produce.” There’s more evidence that he’s not a fit in the offense than there is of him being productive.

It’s true that Atwell didn’t cost anything. At the same time, Allen signed with the Indianapolis Colts for $3.3 million. Christian Kirk signed with the 49ers for $3 million and Kalif Raymond signed with the Bears for $3.5 million. Even if the argument is that Diggs or Jauan Jennings were too expensive at $8 million, players like Allen, Kirk, and Raymond weren’t breaking the bank by any means.

Rams Could Pay the Price for Ignoring WR3

Heading into the season, there were serious questions about the Rams’ lack of wide receiver depth. Even if they were leaning into 13 personnel and heavier tight end packages, they were never going to completely abandon three wide receiver sets. They needed a veteran wide receiver in that WR3 spot, similar to the role Demarcus Robinson played in 2023 and 2024.

With the injuries to Nacua and Whittington, the Rams’ lack of depth at wide receiver has been put under the microscope. The Rams had opportunities to add at the position, even excluding the first two rounds of the draft. There is certainly room to criticize how the Rams handled the position outside of that.

It’s certainly possible that Smith, Mumpfield, and Daniels step up, but that’s a very large unknown. The Rams should never have been in a position where they had to find out. It’s hard to predict injuries, but Nacua is a player who has missed at least one game every year of his career. If Nacua is out on Monday night, the Rams’ depth will be tested much earlier than anticipated.

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