It’s the question that keeps 31 NFL general managers up at night: when was Puka Nacua drafted and how on earth did we let it happen? If you follow the Los Angeles Rams, you already know the answer is basically "way too late."
Puka Nacua was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, specifically with the 177th overall pick.
Think about that for a second. 176 players were supposedly "better" prospects than a guy who went on to shatter rookie receiving records that had stood for decades. It wasn't just a slight oversight by scouts; it was a collective league-wide whiff of epic proportions. To understand why he fell, you have to look at his college path, which was a bit of a winding road through Washington and eventually BYU.
The 177th Pick: Why the 2023 Draft Order Looked So Different
When the Rams turned in that card for Nacua, nobody in the media room at the draft was losing their mind. He wasn't a "sexy" pick. He was a guy from BYU with some injury history and a 40-yard dash time that didn't exactly set the world on fire.
The 2023 draft was headlined by guys like Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud, but the wide receiver class was also supposed to be deep. Jaxon Smith-Njigba went first. Then Quentin Johnston, Zay Flowers, and Jordan Addison. All of them were gone by pick 23. By the time the fifth round rolled around on Saturday afternoon, most fans were more interested in getting their backyard grills started than tracking the compensatory picks.
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The Rams got him with a compensatory selection. Basically, a "thank you" pick from the NFL for losing free agents the year before. It’s wild to think that the greatest rookie season by a wide receiver in history started with a draft slot usually reserved for special teams contributors and "maybe" guys.
The BYU Connection and the "Injury Prone" Label
The main reason Puka lasted until the 177th pick was a perceived lack of durability. Honestly, scouts are terrified of guys who can't stay on the field. At BYU, Nacua dealt with a litany of issues—ankles, hamstrings, you name it. He was productive when he played, but NFL teams hate uncertainty.
Also, his "measurables" were just... fine. He ran a 4.57-second 40-yard dash. In an era where every team wants a track star who can run a sub-4.4, a 4.57 looks like you're running in sand to some scouts. But Sean McVay and Les Snead saw something else. They saw a guy who understood leverage. They saw a player who wasn't afraid to block a linebacker into the dirt. They saw "the grit," as McVay likes to call it.
Breaking the Record: What Happened After the Draft
Once Puka got to training camp, the narrative shifted instantly. Cooper Kupp, the triple-crown winner and Rams' offensive anchor, was dealing with a nagging hamstring injury. Suddenly, the rookie who was drafted in the fifth round was taking first-team reps.
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He didn't just take the reps; he dominated them.
When the 2023 season kicked off against the Seattle Seahawks, Nacua exploded for 10 catches and 119 yards. Then he did it again. And again. By the end of the season, he had 105 receptions and 1,486 yards. Both are all-time NFL rookie records. He broke Bill Groman’s yardage record that had stood since 1960 and Jaylen Waddle’s catch record.
It makes the 176 picks before him look absolutely ridiculous in hindsight.
Why the "Draft Experts" Got It Wrong
Scouting is an inexact science, obviously. But with Puka, the mistake was prioritizing raw speed over "football speed." On tape, Puka was always open. He has this weird, deceptive way of gliding past defenders.
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He also benefited from the Rams' system. Sean McVay is a wizard at putting receivers in positions where they can win immediately after the snap. But give Puka credit—he had to catch the ball. And he caught almost everything. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Nacua was among the league leaders in contested catches, proving that he didn't need 4.3 speed to win. He just needed to be tougher than the guy across from him.
Comparing Nacua to Other 2023 Draft Receivers
If we look at the guys drafted ahead of him, it’s a mixed bag. Jordan Addison had a great year in Minnesota. Zay Flowers looked like a star in Baltimore. But there are also names like Cedric Tillman, Jalin Hyatt, and Tyler Scott who were taken before Puka.
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Pick 20): Solid, but hasn't reached Puka's volume.
- Quentin Johnston (Pick 21): Struggled significantly with drops and consistency.
- Jonathan Mingo (Pick 39): High ceiling, but low early production.
- Puka Nacua (Pick 177): The undisputed king of the class.
It’s a reminder that the NFL Draft is often more about fit and mindset than just how high you can jump at the Combine in Indianapolis. Puka was a "culture" fit for the Rams, a team that values versatile players who can play multiple roles in the offense.
Practical Takeaways for Football Fans
Understanding the Puka Nacua draft story helps you realize that the "experts" don't know nearly as much as they claim to. When you're watching the draft this year or looking at your fantasy football rankings, keep these things in mind:
- Draft Capital Isn't Everything: A fifth-round pick can be an All-Pro. It happens more often than people think (think Stefon Diggs or Tyreek Hill).
- System Fit Matters: Put Puka on a team with a rigid, vertical-only passing game, and maybe he doesn't break those records. In McVay's "illusion of complexity" offense, he was the perfect chess piece.
- College Production vs. Traits: Nacua had incredible production at BYU whenever he was healthy. Sometimes, scouts overthink the physical "traits" and ignore the fact that a guy just knows how to play football.
If you’re wondering when the next Puka Nacua will show up, look for the guy with the weird stats and the "too slow" label who just happens to catch every single ball thrown his way. The Rams found their diamond in the fifth round, and the rest of the league is still playing catch-up.
To keep track of how Nacua's career progresses compared to his draft peers, follow the official NFL stats page or the Rams' team roster updates. Watching his year-two jump will be the real test of whether the 2023 draft was a fluke or the start of a Hall of Fame trajectory.