WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – When the Rams' sixth-round rookie wide receiver Jordan Whittington caught 11 passes for 126 yards through two preseason games, many suspected that general manager Les Snead had hit on another late-round gem. What's been unexpected is how quickly Whittington has received the opportunity to showcase that value in the regular season, in part due to injuries in his position group.
Well, it wasn't surprising to everyone.
"When I first saw Puka Nacua, I knew he was something special. I felt the same way for Jordan," wide receiver Tutu Atwell said.
With Nacua and Cooper Kupp hurt, Whittington led the Rams in both targets (eight) and receptions (six) against the Bears on Sunday, tallying 62 yards in his fourth career game. He played the most offensive snaps (59) of anybody on the team apart from quarterback Matthew Stafford and the starting offensive line, who played all 61 snaps.
Whittington's total targets, catches and yards have risen in each game he's played this season, as the eye test and advanced metrics have continued to verify that he can be an impact player at the professional level. On top of that, he's an influential run blocker who fits the Rams' offensive identity. Without Kupp and Nacua for the foreseeable future, Whittington's role may continue to expand.
"We're putting a little bit more on his plate every single week in terms of the run game, the pass game... and he's handling it well," said offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur. "He's going to be in this league for a long time."
The rookie out of Texas ranks fifth among qualified rookies in yards per route run (2.07), according to Pro Football Focus, and owns the 16th-best run blocking grade of any receiver in football. He also ranks third among qualified rookies, and 26th overall, in catch rate over expected (10.2%), via Next Gen Stats. That stat is measured by models that utilize player tracking data to estimate the catch percentage of specific passes based on past plays with similar circumstances.
That means Whittington isn't just making the plays that he's expected to make as a sixth-round pick filling in for injured superstars. He's catching passes that the average NFL player doesn't.
"I thought he did a good job (on Sunday)," said head coach Sean McVay on Monday. "You know, he's getting familiar with a lot of the different things that we're trying to do, (he) made the most of some opportunities."
Whittington has thrived on in-breaking routes, a sign of his confidence and willingness to fight through contact over the middle. That's something Whittington said has always been a strength of his game. He was recruited to the Longhorns as a five-star running back out of high school, so he's no stranger to absorbing contact.
Against the Bears last weekend, Whittington ran a 12-yard in on a crucial 3rd-and-3 in the second quarter. Upon Stafford releasing the pass, Whittington jutted back toward the ball for a sliding catch with a frontside linebacker dropping into his running lane. It was a high-IQ play, which is something he's displayed often by settling into vacant zones in the defense to get open and maximize his yards after the catch.
"He turned a shallow route into... one of those explosives last week, which was really cool," Stafford said. "I was really happy for him."
In the span of four weeks, Whittington went from getting two snaps in the season opener to leading the team in targets and receptions. It's possible that trend persists in an injury-riddled receiver room, and Whittington knows there's still plenty of room to grow.
"Run after the catch is always a big (thing I want to improve on)," Whittington said.
"He's done a really nice job catching and running the last couple weeks," Stafford said. "But you go out there and earn it. You earn the opportunities. You earn the trust, you earn all of that. And, you know, he's come in with the right attitude from day one and it's showing."
