You might expect the Los Angeles Rams' receiver room to be highly respected in NFL circles. After all, when you consider the fact that this team boasts WR Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, and Tutu Atwell as the projected starting trio, that is enough to cause defensive coordinators around the league to lose sleep. And when you compile their 2024 receiver stats of 206 catches out of 309 targets (a 66.7 catch rate) for 2,615 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns, it's easy to see why.
But not everyone is impressed. Pro Football Focus's Trevor Sikkema does not even project the Rams' receiving corps among the NFL's top five receiver rooms in 2025. I, for one, find that puzzling.
Even with a banged-up group of receivers in 2024, the Rams managed to clock in as the 10th-ranked receivers in 2024. I don't foresee the Rams leaning heavily into backup receivers for seven of the team's 17 scheduled games this season. Beyond that, if you expect Davante Adams to be limited to 14 games, Puka Nacua to be limited to 11 games, and Tutu Atwell to be limited to 62 targets in 2025, you are far too pessimistic.
But that appears to be the basis for Sikkema's WR rankings for the 2025 NFL season. Well, part of the basis for Sikkeam's receiver rankings. Perhaps the greatest flaw with Sikkema's receiver rankings is the confusion that allows him to include effective rushing offenses as a contributing factor to his 2025 receiving rankings. Does he truly believe that a healthy San Francisco 49er running back, Christian McCaffrey not to dilute the 49ers' passing game?
Color me dubious.
Let's craft a data table that shows PFF rankings, while citing their top 3 wide receivers projected to start in 2025:
- San Francisco 49ers - 5th - TE Kittle (1,106 yds), WR Jennings (975 yds), WR Pearsall (400 yds)
- Los Angeles Rams - 8th - WR Adams (1,063 yds), WR Nacua (990 yds), WR Atwell (560 yds)
- Arizona Cardinals - 18th - TE McBride (1,145 yds), WR Harrison (885 yds), WR Wilson (548 yds)
- Seattle Seahawks - 20th - WR Njigba (1,130 yds), WR Kupp (710 yds), TE Fant (500 yds)
Okay, so what's my reason for complaints? Kittle and Jennings' numbers came at 15 games, with very little run support. Even Pearsall's numbers came from 11 starts. But when you consider the Rams, you quickly discover that the numbers reflect 15 games, but two different teams for Davante Adams, just 11 games for Puka Nacua, and a minor role for Tutu Atwell. To be fair, you'd likely be more fair to include TE Tyler Higbee. But he only played in three games last season.
The Cardinals' numbers reflect a full season's production. For the Seahawks, you have to consider that Cooper Kupp's production was limited to just 12 games.
I'm not suggesting that Trevor Sikkema needs to extrapolate a 17-game season projection for every receiver on every team. But I am pointing out an obvious bias in his rankings. He does not exclude the effect of a running game. Rather, he leans into the best rushing offenses as the top receiver projections in 2025. And he glosses over the impact of key player injuries from 2024 in his broad brush strokes.
He may be correct. The 49ers may put up better passing yards than the Rams on a per-game basis in 2025, just as they did in 2024. But I don't believe it's a fair position to take that assumes WR Puka Nacua will be out for six games in 2025, while projecting the entire 49ers roster to remain completely healthy this season.
You can accept Sikkema's projections on blind faith. But keep in mind that the Rams entered the 2025 offseason acknowledging that the offense needed to evolve. That is why the Rams have backed Puka Nacua, promoted Tutu Atwell, welcomed back Tyler Higbee, signed Davante Adams, and drafted Terrance Ferguson.
In the realm of uncertain futures, you can be certain that Rams HC Sean McVay is determined to do better on offense this season. All that is needed now is to sit back and enjoy the show.
And as so often before, I thank you for reading.
