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Countdown to Camp: Puka Nacua's continued ascent, Davante Adams' arrival give Rams intriguing options at wide receiver
Jul 14, 2025 at 01:07 PMStu Jackson
Senior Staff Writer
Countdown to Camp is a series breaking down the Rams roster by position group heading into training camp. The fourth installment examines the wide receivers.
Head coach Sean McVay spoke in January about wanting a more versatile offense, regardless of the health of personnel. Among the moves aligned to that vision were releasing Cooper Kupp two months later and signing Davante Adams.
Los Angeles had been accustomed to the duo of Kupp and Puka Nacua over the last two seasons. Now, a new partnership forms entering the 2025 season.
Both players excelled after the catch last season. According to Next Gen Stats, Nacua had the sixth-most in the league among wide receivers with 535; Adams had the 10th-most with 490.
The 32-year-old Adams, who said being in the Rams' building has been "rejuvenating" for him, still has plenty left in the tank, evident in OTA practices this spring and what he showed late last season.
According to Yahoo Sports analyst Matt Harmon's research, Adams had at least an 80% success rate on six different routes on the standard route tree.
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Adams also remains lethal as a contested catch target in the redzone, as Rams staff writer Wyatt Miller pointed out in his research from May. His eight such touchdowns inside the 20 are most in the NFL over the last three years.
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Adams has also imparted his wisdom on Nacua and the rest of the receivers, whether it be tips on technique or ideas for the offense.
"I think the suddenness and the ability to steal leverage at the line of scrimmage has been something that he thrives on and everybody in the NFL knows that's something that is one of his greatest assets and to be able to figure that out and how that works in our route concepts and the timing of our offense," Nacua said of the advice Adams has given. "So I'd say that's been one of the biggest things."
"He's all that was advertised, everything I thought he was and what the coaches thought he was, he is," Yarber told theRams.com earlier this summer. "He's been a great leader in that room, mentoring the younger guys, being vulnerable, telling them about his struggles early on, helping them out however he can."
Meanwhile, Tutu Atwell's return will help stretch the field vertically. Yarber also said Atwell knows all the receiver spots in the team's offense.
Additionally, Jordan Whittington enters his second season having improved in "all aspects" of his game, according to Yarber. Coming off a rookie campaign in which he made the most of limited opportunities on offense, Whittington's confidence has also improved.
Collectively, the established and ascending talent make Los Angeles' wide receivers a group to watch closely in 2025.
