The Los Angeles Rams were a pleasant surprise in 2024, winning the NFC West despite an early rash of injuries that crippled the offense. Receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua each missed time early in the season with ankle and knee injuries, respectively, but Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay held things together long enough to win the division and push the Philadelphia Eagles to the brink in the Divisional Round.
The Rams informed Kupp in early February that they were looking to trade the veteran receiver, and PFSN has the team finding his replacement in its most recent seven-round mock draft.
Rams Replace Cooper Kupp With First-Round, 24-TD Ohio State Receiver
Kupp was one of the best value picks in recent memory, selected by Los Angeles in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He quickly became a key part of McVay’s offense and won the Triple Crown in 2021, posting 145 receptions, 1,947 yards, and 16 touchdowns en route to a Super Bowl championship.
However, Kupp hasn’t played more than 12 regular-season games since then and has surpassed 800 receiving yards only once. A high ankle sprain ended his 2022 season, he missed the first four games of 2023 with a lingering hamstring injury, and he missed four games last season with another ankle issue.
Kupp signed a three-year, $80.1 million extension in the summer of 2022, keeping him under contract through 2026, but the team is looking to get that deal off its books. McVay hasn’t shut the door on a return, but Kupp’s $29.78 million cap hit is too much for the Rams.
So, where do they go from here? Los Angeles holds the No. 26 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and in PFSN’s latest seven-round mock draft, analyst Jacob Infante predicts they’ll replace Kupp with Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka.
Infante writes, “Emeka Egbuka is a sturdy, reliable receiver with good hands and quick lateral movements as both a route runner and a ball carrier. Don’t let the hype around his past and current Buckeyes teammates fool you; Egbuka’s tape looks the part of a future NFL starting wide receiver.”
Egbuka played four seasons for the Buckeyes, finishing his career with 26 total touchdowns (24 receiving, two rushing). He wrapped up his final season with 81 receptions, 1,011 yards, and 10 touchdowns on a loaded national championship team.
He’s a well-built, tough receiver who knows how to get open against both man and zone coverage. Ohio State has become “Wide Receiver U” in recent years, and Egbuka is next in line.
He’ll likely never be a home-run threat at the next level, as he lacks the deep speed to stress NFL-caliber corners vertically, but he can be a reliable No. 2 or slot option playing opposite a true big-play threat like Nacua.
The Rams haven’t had many first-round picks in recent years, but they are poised to hit a home run with what PFSN has predicted.