If there’s one thing the Los Angeles Rams have always done under Sean McVay, it’s surrounding their quarterbacks with playmakers. As an offensive-minded coach, McVay never wants to stop adding pieces on that side of the ball, whether it’s by spending early picks on skill players or adding proven veterans like Sammy Watkins, Brandin Cooks and Davante Adams.
The Rams’ core of skill players this year looks outstanding on paper. The big three of Adams, Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams rival any trio in the NFL, while Tutu Atwell has a ton of speed, Terrance Ferguson is a promising rookie and Tyler Higbee is a big red zone target at tight end.
As he does each year, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell ranked every team’s group of wide receivers, tight ends and running backs entering the 2025 season. Barnwell notes that wide receivers were weighed more heavily than the other two position groups and the list is less about depth than it is the team’s top five contributors.
The Rams were ranked 23rd on this list in 2023 and ninth last year, but they rose even further for the upcoming season. Barnwell put the Rams fifth, emphasizing just how good the group of Nacua, Adams and Williams can be if healthy.
If you could guarantee 17 games from the Rams’ big three at their 2024 levels of play, they might challenge to rank No. 1 here. Puka Nacua missed six games and still came within a screen of making it to 1,000 yards, as his 3.7 yards per route run comfortably led the NFL. Kyren Williams ranked sixth in rushing yards per game despite not having a single run top 30 yards, something that won’t happen again in 2025. And after a difficult first three months of the year, Davante Adams — who was added by L.A. in free agency — brought in 576 receiving yards and six scores from December 1 onward, ranking among the league leaders in both categories.
Barnwell does worry about a potential regression from Nacua, Williams and Adams this season, but he says “it would hardly be a surprise if they all garnered Pro Bowl consideration.”
As for who else could contribute on offense, he’s looking at four potential candidates: Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittington, Higbee and Ferguson. Atwell is on a $10 million contract so the Rams better get him involved considering how high his salary is, while Whittington is a promising young receiver who always made the most of his limited opportunities last year.
Higbee is healthy again and Ferguson tested as the most athletic tight end in the 2025 draft class, so there’s a lot of potential in that group, too.
Staying healthy is essential but if the Rams can keep their core on the field together, they could wind up with the best offense in the NFL.
The only teams ahead of the Rams on Barnwell’s list are the 49ers (4), Bengals (3), Lions (2) and Eagles (1), so that’s the company Los Angeles is keeping.
Follow Rams Wire on X, Facebook and Threads for more coverage!
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: ESPN ranks Rams’ offensive playmakers in the top 5 of the NFL for 2025
Reporting by Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
