Hindsight is always 20/20, but it's staggering to look back and see just how overlookedBYU Cougarswide receiverPuka Nacuawas heading into the 2023 NFL Draft. Yet, coming off a season in which he caught 48 passes for 625 yards and five touchdowns as a senior with the Cougars, there wasn't a ton of buzz surrounding Nacua.
The Los Angeles Rams, needing to add depth to their receiving room, took a chance on Nacua in the fifth round at pick No. 177.
InCBS Sports' re-draft of the 2023 class, Nacua surged all the way up to the No. 3 pick by the Houston Texans. Will Anderson Jr. was the initial selection here, and while he has fit the billing as a Pro Bowl-caliber edge rusher, Nacua takes the cake here as an All-Pro level talent early in his career. He comes in behind quarterbacks CJ Stroud and Bryce Young, who remain the top two picks but flip-flop with Stroud taking the cake at No. 1.
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The Rams were rewarded immediately for taking the former Cougar, as he recorded 10 receptions for 119 yards in his first career game against the Seattle Seahawks. As a rookie, he had eight 100-yard outings, including a nine-catch, 181-yard, 1-touchdown performance against the Detroit Lions in the NFC Wild Card game.
Nacua hasn't stopped since then. Injuries slowed his 2024 campaign from being spectacular, but he was back on track in 2025, becoming a unanimous All-Pro selection while catching 129 passes for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns.
It was a monster campaign for the third-year former BYU standout, as his connection with Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is second to none. Though he dealt with some off-the-field issues over the past couple months, Nacua should once again be among the leaders in receiving yards this season and challenge for another All-Pro nod, further outperforming his fifth-round draft slot.
This article originally appeared on BYU Cougars Wire:Former BYU star WR Puka Nacua cracks the top 5 in a 2023 re-draft
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