The Los Angeles Rams are no strangers to finding non-first-round wide receiver talent in the NFL Draft during the era of head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead.
Cooper Kupp fell to them in the third round in 2017, which was the first draft class for the McVay-Snead duo. Six years later the franchise discovered Puka Nacua in the fifth round before his epic 2023 rookie season. But in their preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, a new late-round WR find entered the picture in a big way: Jordan Whittington, their sixth-round selection.
Rams Could Have a ‘Puka Nacua’ on Their Hands in Jordan Whittington
Before the preseason opener, concerns rose for the Rams when last season’s receptions and yards leader Nacua injured his knee during a joint practice with the L.A. Chargers. Rams fans developed early anxiety for their 2024 WR room with his injury.
Whittington immediately eased those worries by turning to his combination of speed, hands, and power in his NFL debut.
He arrived to the Rams as the league’s 213th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. But he established himself as Sunday’s mismatch with a dominating first half, racking up 43 yards on his first two catches. His dominating first half exemplified his run-after-catch prowess and prompted the bold question of whether the Rams have a new “Puka Nacua” on their hands.
#Rams rookie 6th round pick WR Jordan Whittington first half stats:
🏈5 Catches
🏈67 YardsDid the Rams find another Puka Nacua? 🤔pic.twitter.com/OyfO5yT3qb
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) August 11, 2024
The former Texas Longhorns star got the NFL world buzzing for his impressive debut with various analysts chiming in.
“I’ve seen enough, Jordan Whittington is going to be a stud,” Underdog Fantasy analyst Sosa Kremenjas posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
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Texas On3.com reporter Justin Wells even made this bold prediction during Whittington’s epic debut:
“Jordan Whittington might catch 50-60 balls this year,” Wells shared on X.
Insider Predicted Whittington’s Breakthrough
As the NFL world became abuzz for Whittington’s breakthrough day, one Rams insider sent out the advanced prediction that this day was bound to happen for the sixth-rounder.
The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue wrote this back on April 30 following the ’24 NFL Draft.
“I would keep an eye on Jordan Whittington, the Rams’ sixth-round pick, this spring and summer. General manager Les Snead, whose stepson is a long snapper at Texas [Whittington’s alma mater], gushed about the receiver and said everybody in the building referred to him as the Longhorns’ ‘heartbeat.’
“Whittington’s yards-after-catch ability, physical play style, and résumé on underneath concepts make him a fit for Sean McVay’s offense,” Rodrigue wrote.
Rodrigue sent out the reminder of her prediction while live-tweeting the action between the Rams and Cowboys.
Jordan Whittington is up to five catches for 67 yards. Wrote about fans needing to keep an eye on Whittington after this year's draft, based on his connection to Snead, to McVay's offense and "heartbeat" label from Texas teammates: https://t.co/HW9ZAOWMBc
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) August 11, 2024
Looking Back at Whittington’s Draft Evaluation
Whittington faced long odds to get drafted higher than two of his more heralded Longhorns teammates — Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell. The NFL Combine record-breaker Worthy and the towering Mitchell landed inside the top 60 picks.
Even Pro Football Network’s NFL Draft Analyst Derek Tate noticed how hard it was for Whittington to separate himself talent-wise from both in his evaluation. Yet, Tate added how the 6’1″, 205-pounder’s production in the slot “shouldn’t be overlooked or dismissed.”
Tate additionally noticed the strong hands, ball-attacking attitude, and his threat as a yards-after-catch option in scrutinizing Whittington’s game. However, his stock lowered due to an extensive injury history plus getting overshadowed in a loaded WR group in Austin.
Sean McVay called Jordan Whittington a “mature rookie” after the sixth-round pick had six catches for 74 yards.
"He played like a grown man with the ball in his hands [and] did a great job without it," McVay said. "I just really like him. He's going to be a factor for us."
— Sarah Barshop (@sarahbarshop) August 12, 2024
Fast forward to Sunday, the Rams just may have once again proven to the NFL world that they have another late-round draft gem on their hands. McVay praised the former Longhorn for his maturity as a rookie and his performance on Sunday, as Whittington ran through and around Dallas for six catches, 74 yards, and an average of 12.3 yards per catch.