How Sean McVay feels now about drafting Puka Nacua in the 5th round

It’s not an exaggeration to say that former BYU Cougar Puka Nacua has exceeded the expectations of the Los Angeles Rams.

The fifth-round pick has already broken the team’s rookie single-season receiving yard record, and his 1,163 receiving yards are the sixth most in the NFL this season, according to ESPN.

Rams head coach Sean McVay spoke with reporters Friday ahead of the team’s 36-19 win over the Cleveland Browns and pulled back the curtain on what happened during the third day of the NFL draft when the Rams picked Nacua.

“When it was getting down to it, I might’ve choked (general manager) Les (Snead) out if we had missed out on Puka when we were waiting so long to be able to take him,” he said, according to the Rams Wire. “But he’s a stud and we’re really grateful to have him.”

What does Sean McVay like about Puka Nacua?

The head coach didn’t stop the praise of his young receiver there. He went on the highlight the attributes that make Nacua successful.

“The toughness, the aggressive hands, just the competitor,” he said during the press conference, according to a video shared by the Rams. “And you could see with a lot of the different things he was asked to do, the football acumen and IQ, you had to guess was really high before you even talked to him based on the versatility of his game.”

Did the Rams know how good Puka Nacua would be in the NFL?

Nacua was selected in the fifth round of the draft with the No. 177 overall pick. When asked Friday, McVay didn’t pretend that he or the Rams knew the kind of receiver Nacua would become when they drafted him.

“If we were to say we knew he’d be this good, we would not have waited as long as we did,” McVay said.

Heading into the draft, Nacua ranked No. 37 among wide receivers who participated at the combine and received a 5.80 prospect grade from NFL.com, which it says is an average grade for an undrafted backup or special-teamer.

Which wide receiver prospects were ranked above Puka Nacua?

The following players were NFL.com’s top five wide receiver prospects heading into the 2023 NFL draft based on their draft grades:

Nacua leads all five in receptions (87), receiving yards (1,163) and touchdowns (4) this season, according to ESPN.

With Nacua on pace to break the NFL’s record for single-season pass receptions by a rookie, it’s safe to say the Rams got the steal of the draft.