The NFL offseason is here (silently chuckles on the inside). Every dynasty GM knows there is no offseason. There’s the regular season, and then there is rookie fever season. If you’re like me and you’ve had a raging fever since February…the only prescription is my rookie primers. You can check them all out in our 2023 dynasty draft kit. Below I’ll take a closer look at Puka Nacua.
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Dynasty Rookie Draft Profile: Puka Nacua
Puka Nacua (BYU)
Stats:
- 2022 (286 FBS WRs, minimum 50 targets)
- Yards per route run: 2nd
- PFF receiving grade: 2nd
- 2021 (251 FBS WRs, minimum 50 targets)
- Yards per route run: 6th
- PFF receiving grade: 30th
- Career
- 39 carries for 357 rushing yards (9.2 YPC, five rushing scores)
Scouting report:
- 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
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*All data utilized in this article is courtesy of PFF, Football Outsiders, and Playerprofiler.com unless otherwise specified.*