When Davante Adams signed with the Los Angeles Rams, he didn’t expect anything except the opportunity to be great. From the moment he walked through the doors of the facility, he had the respect of the franchise and hasn’t lost it since.
The appointed leader of the receiver room and a mentor to several players, including Puka Nacua and Konata Mumpfield, Adams was everything the Rams wanted him to be, and then some. Willing to take a step back in order to win, Adams adopted the Rams’ WR2 role, pairing with Nacua to become the surf and turf of the NFL.
With Nacua’s physical nature and premier production, Adams became the elite, cerebral threat who can alter his attack both pre-snap and in the middle of the play, taking advantage of the space that Nacua and the Rams’ scheme naturally create. Since Matthew Stafford is known for making off-script plays, the controlled chaos of Stafford’s playstyle meshed well with Adams’ approach to the game.
In their listing of the top 10 No. 2 wide receivers in the NFL, Sports Illustrated ranked Adams fourth, displaying how much Adams was able to adjust to his new role.
“One of the best receivers in the league during his prime with the Packers, Adams is now the Rams’ No. 2 receiver behind teammate Puka Nacua,” wrote SI’s Eva Geitheim. “Adams joined the Rams last offseason on a two-year deal and was a touchdown machine for Los Angeles. He led the league in touchdowns for the third time in his career, despite missing three games with a hamstring injury. Adams’s ability to haul in passes in the red zone helped Matthew Stafford finish as the league-leader in passing touchdowns, passing yards and win MVP honors.
“Adams will look to help the star-powered Rams return to the Super Bowl in 2026, and win his first ring in the process—the main accomplishment missing from his otherwise stellar career résumé.”
Despite no longer being the offense’s primary passing target, Adams’ work in the red zone not only secured Stafford’s MVP and the Rams as having the NFL’s most potent offense, but he also solved a years-long problem of the team failing to turn red zone trips into touchdowns.
The Rams either struggle to run the football or simply refuse to when they enter the red zone. With Adams on the field, Nacua has the space and inside knowledge to continue his domination of the NFL. Along with that, the Rams and Stafford have the NFL’s best target man, allowing their offense to finally turn the work Nacua does into winning production.
During the 2025 season, Adams, despite yet another heroic championship game performance, would lose the fifth NFC Championship Game of his illustrious career. His loss once again came due to failures from other portions of his team’s operation. After massive investments were made by the franchise to fix those issues, Adams could be on the dawn of a career-defining championship.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Davante Adams ranked as one of the NFL’s best No. 2 WRs
Reporting by Brock Vierra, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Brock Vierra, Rams Wire | USA TODAY Network
