There were six wide receivers — Corey Davis, John Ross, Mike Williams, Zay Jones, Curtis Samuel, and Juju Smith-Schuster — selected ahead of Rams rookie Cooper Kupp in the 2017 NFL Draft.
But through 13 games, Kupp has outperformed them all.
Kupp leads all rookie wide receivers in receptions (56), receiving yards (783), and first downs (38) in 2017. He is also the only rookie receiver on pace for almost 1,000 receiving yards this season.
Plus, the Eastern Washington product broke the Rams franchise record for most receptions by a rookie in just 13 games — surpassing wide receiver Eddie Kennison's 54 catches in 1996.
"He's had a lot of production [and] demonstrates a lot of maturity, so you almost forget that he is a rookie," head
coach Sean McVay said Monday. "But, he's demonstrated that maturity, which I think has enabled him to be able to pick things up very quickly."
"He's not your typical rookie," offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur said. "The guy is just – he loves football, very intelligent player and we're lucky to have him. He's a really good player and I think he's going to be a really good player for years to come."
Kupp has also quickly become one of quarterback Jared Goff's favorite targets. In Sunday's contest against the Eagles, he had a team-high five receptions for a career-high 118 yards and one touchdown.
And while his production is impressive in its own right, Kupp's attitude and work ethic have also caught the attention of his fellow players and coaches.
"There's never any doubts with him. He's so level-headed and such a hard worker," Goff said.
"He's been a great influence on those receivers in that room and I know he's as conscientious a player as you're going to be around," McVay said. "That's what allows him to be better week-in and week-out — learn from the mistakes and then continue to do the things that he's doing at a high level consistently."
"[I'm] happy for his production," he continued. "And he's [played] a big part in some of the offensive success that we've had this year."
