Puka Nacua has had an otherworldly start to his NFL career with the Los Angeles Rams, and there is one trait that explains why better than most, and it’s going to cost the Rams a pretty penny.
Jun 2, 2026; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua (12) during organized team activities at Rams Practice Facility.
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Los Angeles Rams are going to back up the Brinks truck for Puka Nacua at some point. If not them, then it will be someone else because, despite some of the off-field concerns, we have rarely, if ever, seen someone have the start to a career the way Nacua has.
But why is that? What is it that seperates himself from so many others? Ted Nguyen of The Athletic helped explain it, and I’ll explain why it’s so valuable for the Rams and Nacua’s bank account.
Puka Nacua 2025 stats
129 receptions.
1,715 receiving yards.
10 receiving touchdowns.
Puka Nacua is named one of the league’s most versatile players
“Puka Nacua is the best blocking receiver in the league bar none and he’s in the perfect system to weaponize that ability and get open in the passing game. Coach Sean McVay was a pioneer in the idea of 11.5 personnel (3 receiver sets but with receivers who block like tight ends) going back to his time with Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. Now, the Rams are straight up asking Nacua to block edge defenders like a tight end and folding him inside to the second level. When they use play action off of these looks, Nacua is unstoppable. But he could also just line up outside as a true X receiver and make the most spectacular downfield catches against man coverage. He’s out for blood whenever he has the ball in his hands.”
“Nacua led the league in yards per route run (3.71), inching out Jaxon Smith-Njigba (3.68), the reigning Offensive Player of the Year. Both players were more than a full yard ahead of the next receiver. While Smith-Njigba is the better pure receiver, Nacua’s ability as a blocker creates opportunities for him in the play-action game, and his impact on the run game can’t be discounted.” – Ted Nguyen, The Athletic
How versatility helps Nacua become the league’s highest-paid WR
JSN reset the market this offseason, but as Nguyen pointed out, he, nor any other WR for that matter, is willing to put their body on the line the way Nacua is. He plays like a Tasmanian Devil as both a blocker and a pass catcher, and he can turn upfield and hit his head on the goalpost every time he touches the ball.
That pays well in the NFL, and Nacua will find that in short order.
Los Angeles Rams News
Jared Verse was the selling point in the Cleveland Browns’ decision to send Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams. But what made L.A. willing to part ways with the two-time Pro Bowler? Sources detail why the Rams were able to move on.