The Rams like what they’ve seen from Puka Nacua. With Cooper Kupp out with a hamstring injury, Nacua has been getting lots of reps and seems to have a good rapport with Matthew Stafford. But Nacua is a fifth-round pick, and it’s rare for those guys to make a big impact, especially early.

I pulled up the numbers on this. In the last 10 years, there have been 43 wide receivers selected with fifth-round picks. Two of have been insanely good – Tyreek Hill and Stefon Diggs. But Hill feel in the draft because of a domestic violence incident that got him kicked off the team at Oklahoma State. (Nacua isn’t a first-round type talent who fell because of character concerns.)

There haven’t been many other hits. Of the 41 other receivers drafted in the fifth round, only five ever finished a season with top-50 numbers (using PPR scoring). Only four did it as rookies.

In the chart below, I’m listing all of the fifth-round receivers by their first-season numbers. The final column shows their best year to date. (Guys who’ve ever had a top-50 season are tagged with dots.)

FIFTH-ROUND RECEIVERS (last 10 years)
YearPlayerRecYdsTDPPRRkBest year (rk)
2016• Tyreek Hill, K.C.6159312219.018119-1710-9 (2)
2019• Darius Slayton, NYG487408170.03748-740-8 (37)
2020• Darnell Mooney, Chi.616314152.15081-1055-5 (24)
2015• Stefon Diggs, Min.527204149.347127-1535-8 (3)
2019• Hunter Renfrow, Oak.496054133.555103-1038-9 (10)
2013• Kenny Stills, N.O.326415127.15658-847-6 (26)
2018Marquez Valdes-Scantling, G.B.385812111.06633-690-6 (55)
2016Tajae Sharpe, Ten.415222105.37341-522-2 (73)
2017Trent Taylor, S.F.43430298.06843-430-2 (68)
2020Quintez Cephus, Det.20349266.910320-349-2 (103)
2020Collin Johnson, Jac.18272259.210918-272-2 (109)
2015J.J. Nelson, Ariz.11299252.910734-568-7 (56)
2015Rashad Greene, Jac.1993346.311319-93-3 (113)
2020Tyler Johnson, T.B.12169240.912936-360-0 (102)
2022Khalil Shakir, Buff.10161134.113110-161-1 (131)
2020Jamal Agnew, Det.1389131.214224-229-3 (99)
2020John Hightower, Phil.10167028.814710-167-0 (147)
2021Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Min.5116228.61455-116-2 (145)
2015Keith Mumphery, Hou.14129026.914114-129-0 (141)
2022Kyle Philips, Ten.878015.81558-78-0 (155)
2014Ryan Grant, Was.768013.815445-573-4 (54)
2016Rashard Higgins, Cle.677013.716037-599-4 (63)
2016Trevor Davis, G.B.324111.41678-111-1 (137)
2020Joe Reed, LAC0018.91860-0-1 (186)
2017Isaiah McKenzie, Den.42907.317342-423-5 (55)
2022Montrell Washington, Den.4207.21804-2-0 (180)
2014Devin Street, Dall.21803.81757-114-1 (145)
2017Shelton Gibson, Phil.21103.11871-48-0 (180)
2018Justin Watson, T.B.1501.520415-315-2 (107)
2016Jordan Payton, Cle.1301.31941-3-0 (194)
2013Tavarres King, Den.000.0--18-240-3 (97)
2014Jared Abbrederis, G.B.000.0--9-111-0 (154)
2015Tony Lippett, Mia.000.0--0-0-0 (--)
2015Keith Mumphery, Hou.000.0--0-0-0 (--)
2015Kenny Bell, T.B.000.0--0-0-0 (--)
2017DeAngelo Yancey, G.B.000.0--0-0-0 (--)
2017Rodney Adams, Min.000.0--0-0-0 (--)
2018Daurice Fountain, Ind.000.0--2-23-0 (201)
2018Jordan Lasley, Balt.000.0--0-0-0 (--)
2020• K.J. Osborn, Min.000.0--60-655-7 (40)
2020Isaiah Coulter, Hou.000.0--0-0-0 (--)
2021Cornell Powell, K.C.000.0--0-0-0 (--)
2021Simi Fehoko, Dall.000.0--3-24-0 (183)
2023Puka Nacua, LAR??????
2023Justin Shorter, Buff.??????
2023Dontayvion Wicks, G.B.??????

The numbers serve as a reminder that it’s tough for a lightly-regarded receiver to claw his way to relevance. At the same time, it happens on occasion. And Nacua at least is off to a good start. Equally notably, he’s landed in a favorable situation (especially if Kupp misses any regular-season games). The Rams don’t have much else at wide receiver. Van Jefferson seems to be more of a deep-threat contributor, rather than a guy who’ll ever develop into a legit starter. They drafted Tutu Atwell in the second round in 2021, but he’s awfully small.

If I were walking into a dynasty draft today, I would select Nacua before I would pick Jefferson. If we’re handicapping it, Jefferson probably will finish with better numbers in 2023, but Nacua has a better chance of maybe at some point becoming a relevant receiver. He was just the 20th wide receiver drafted, but I like him more right now than most of the guys picked before him.

—Ian Allan