Puka Nacua does a lot of things well but where he’s most dangerous is working over the middle on intermediate routes. Whether he lines up in the slot or on the outside, he’s one of the game’s best receivers already when it comes to making plays on throws that are between 10 and 20 yards downfield.
With his strong hands and physicality, as well as his ability to create yardage after the catch by breaking tackles, he can turn a 10-yard pass into a 30-yad gain.
Last season, Pro Football Focus gave him a near-perfect 99.8 grade on intermediate targets 10-19 yards down the field. Nico Collins was the only player with a higher grade on such plays, checking in at 99.9.
On intermediate throws last season, Nacua saw 33 targets, catching 22 of them for 406 yards and one touchdown. His 18.5 yards per reception on such plays was the 16th-best among any qualified receiver.
His 33 targets were only 26th among all receivers but he ranked 15th in yards on intermediate routes, showing just how efficient he was on those plays. And those are passes Matthew Stafford is more than comfortable making.
He has the arm strength to zip the ball in there to his receiver between the corner and linebacker, as well as the touch to loft it over the second-level defenders and give his receiver a chance to make a play after the catch.
It’s what makes Stafford and Nacua such a deadly duo, as evidenced by these numbers from PFF. It was a similar story in 2023 when Nacua had a 96.6 grade on intermediate passes, catching 30 passes for 554 yards and a touchdown.
Additionally, Nacua had the third-highest grade of any receiver on throws behind the line of scrimmage last season, earning a mark of 93.6 – behind only Zay Flowers (93.8) and Khalil Shakir (93.7). again, this goes back to his physicality and YAC-ability, picking up big chunks of yardage with the ball in his hands.
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This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Puka Nacua’s near-perfect PFF grade shows how good he is on intermediate routes
Reporting by Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
