Dynasty Rookie Draft Profile: Puka Nacua (2023 Fantasy Football)

To help you prepare for your dynasty rookie and startup drafts, Derek Brown is putting together a dynasty rookie outlook for each and every fantasy-relevant 2023 NFL Draft prospect. Here’s our dynasty rookie draft profile for Puka Nacua.

Expert Consensus 2023 Dynasty Superflex Rookie Draft Rankings: Top-50

Dynasty Rookie Draft Profile: Puka Nacua

Puka Nacua Dynasty Rookie Draft Outlook

Puka Nacua might not get the hype of some of his prospect brethren because he attended BYU, but he deserves all the praise. Nacua ranked second and sixth in yards per route run over his final two collegiate seasons (minimum 50 targets, per PFF). He flashes good footwork and a varied release package at the line of scrimmage. Nacua also adds subtle nuances to his routes with pacing and head fakes. He’s strong after the catch. While he’s not a jitterbug, he’s tough to bring down with the ball in his hands because of his physicality and vision in traffic. He is a magician near the boundary, as his film is littered with tough grabs near the sideline with impressive footwork. Those strong hands have also served him well in contested situations. He ranked 17th in contested catch rate in 2021 (minimum 10 contested targets, per PFF). BYU tried to get the ball in Nacua’s hands in any way possible. He was utilized on jet sweets and on the ground in 2022 as the fifth-leading rusher on the team, with 8.4 yards per carry and five rushing scores. Nacua has that dog in him.

Player Comp: Dollar Store Deebo Samuel

– Derek Brown