With Rams WR1 Cooper Kupp on the mend, Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell need to step up

Eric Williams

NFC West Writer

IRVINE, Calif. — After laboring through an up-and-down 2022 with a balky knee, Van Jefferson says he feels as good as he has ever felt since being selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 2020 draft.

“I wasn’t able to participate last year in fall camp,” Jefferson said. “I got maybe like four practices last year. So I’m just honestly grateful and thankful to be out here. It’s unfortunate what happened last year, but at the end of the day, God is giving me the opportunity to be out here with my teammates. So I’m just thankful every day.”

The Rams are doing their best to keep Jefferson healthy, putting him on a regimented maintenance program that gives him occasional rest days so he can be fresh and ready to go Week 1 on the road against the Seattle Seahawks.

Jefferson has received more attention during training camp with No. 1 receiver Cooper Kupp suffering a hamstring strain on Tuesday. Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur says Kupp is day-to-day and the expectation remains that he will be healthy for the team’s opening game. However, with Kupp watching from the sidelines, pass-catchers Jefferson, Tutu Atwell, Demarcus Robinson and Puka Nacua are getting a chance to show that they can also be impactful in the offense.

“He wasn’t here all spring,” LaFleur said about Kupp, who was rehabbing from ankle surgery. “So for those guys to be able to move around, get Tutu in at ‘F,’ shuffle some guys around, they’re used to it. … In some respects, you always want one of the best in the world out there, but in other aspects, there’s other guys that are having to step up and play some positions they’re not as familiar with.”

No player on the roster can replace one of the best receivers in the game, and veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford has a special connection with Kupp. But just like last season, when No. 10 missed eight games due to his ankle injury, receivers like Jefferson and Atwell have to take on larger roles in the offense.

Because of that expanded role, Jefferson is looking to emerge as a mainstay in L.A.’s offense as he heads into the final year of his rookie contract. He had his best year as a pro in 2021 during his team’s Super Bowl season, when he finished with 50 receptions for 802 receiving yards and six touchdowns. The Florida product missed the first six games of last season after having two surgeries to fix a persistent knee issue. He finished with 24 catches for 369 yards and three touchdowns.

Now healthy again, Jefferson is one of a handful of receivers who have looked promising in training camp for the Rams.

Atwell, a second-round selection in the 2021 draft who was a healthy scratch in the Rams’ Super Bowl win, finally looks ready to take off. The Louisville product totaled 18 receptions for 298 yards and two total touchdowns last season and has consistently made big plays during training camp.

“We can all see the stuff that just pops off, right?” LaFleur said. “He’s fast. He’s not the biggest guy, but he’s way longer in range here than I ever knew even when he was coming out of college.

“But the thing that people don’t see that we get to see on a daily basis is just how smart this guy is. He’s just locked in and to the point where he is in meetings and he’s absorbing all the information. … That’s what’s given him the ability to be so versatile.”

At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, rookie Nacua is a big-bodied receiver with a great feel for finding soft spots in zone coverage. He has flashed during training camp and could help come September.

And seven-year veteran Robinson could also earn a role with his physicality and ability to make plays.

“He’s got a certain swag to him that’s contagious, and I think you guys can probably feel that when you’re watching,” LaFleur said. “Every time he runs a route, he believes he’s going to win that route. He’s had a tremendous camp so far, so really fired up about him.”

While Jefferson, Atwell, Nacua and Robinson have all had their moments, the Rams still need Kupp on the field for the offense to reach its full potential. That was evident last season, when the team averaged a league-worst 280.5 total yards a contest and scored just 18.1 points a game, the lowest in the Sean McVay era.

“We know how valuable Cooper is to this team and the whole offense,” Jefferson said. “He’s going to take his time and get back when he’s ready. Now, we just hold it down until he gets back.”

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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