There are big doubts about Puka Nacua ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. But the Los Angeles Rams wide receiver is proving all scouts wrong.

Every team in the NFL had several opportunities to pick Puka Nacua in the 2023 draft.

It was not until position 177 in the 5th round that the Los Angeles Rams decided to select the pass receiver from Brigham Young University. 19 other wide receivers went before that.

31 teams in the NFL might be regretting not picking Nacua first. The 22-year-old is the rookie sensation of the year and the biggest steal in the 2023 draft.

In the 30-22 win against the New Orleans Saints, Nacua caught nine passes for 164 yards and a touchdown. With 1,327 receiving yards, he moved up to second place in this ranking. Only superstar Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins is ahead of him with 1,542 yards.

96 balls caught means fifth place in the league. He was thrown at a total of 146 times. Only Keenan Allen of the city rival Los Angeles Chargers has more targets (150) than Nacua. However, the aforementioned players also cost many times more. Allen earned 19 million US dollars in the current season, Hill even 26.35 million US dollars.

Nacua, on the other hand, is in the first year of his rookie contract. With a salary of 994,980 US dollars, he is unbeatable value for money.

The doubts about Nacua were great

But why was Nacua overlooked by so many NFL teams in the first place?

The US-American with Samoan roots was not so much in the spotlight in college football because he hardly came into his own with the Washington Huskies. In the 2019 season, he caught 168 yards in eight games – just four yards more than against the Saints in a single NFL game.

In 2021, he transferred to the BYU Coguars, who are not quite as much in the public eye. However, the reason for the switch was not that he shied away from the internal competition in Washington. Nacua wanted to be closer to his family, as his grandmother was diagnosed with cancer and passed away shortly afterwards.

Injury proneness was also a factor: Nacua only made nine appearances in his final college season. His 48 passes caught for 625 yards and five touchdowns were a decent figure. However, it was not so impressive that teams were lining up to draft him.

There were major doubts as to whether Nacua would immediately work in the NFL. His draft profile projected that he would have major issues with press coverage in the NFL.

In addition, he would not have enough acceleration to run free. He would also lack the speed for deep passes. He would get rattled too quickly when running routes.

Nacua leads the scouts ad absurdum

But all these were just theories. The reality on the field proves how wrong NFL scouts can be.

“He’s such a talented kid,” says Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. “To be honest, that’s one of the most impressive rookie performances I’ve ever seen from a player regardless of position.”

By necessity, Nacua is one of the hottest candidates for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Head coach Sean McVay is making a case for his pass receiver: “You see a Stroud around the league having a great year, too. But this guy right here would get my vote. He’s really something special.”

Inevitably, some people in charge of other NFL teams will have to ask themselves how they could have overlooked such an exceptional talent.

Nacua, at least, has made a mockery of all the scouting that is considered so important before the NFL Draft.