Cameron DaSilva of the Rams Wire writes that Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Jordan Whittington is the leader of the WR3 competition early in training camp because of how experienced and versatile he is. Whittington is competing with Xavier Smith, Konata Mumpfield, and rookie CJ Daniels, with DaSilva also noting that Daniels has made some noise in practice and is drawing attention from fans and coaches. The No. 3 WR spot in head coach Sean McVay's offense will be an important one, but it also isn't expected to come with a lot of weekly volume as long as the top two receivers, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, are healthy. The 25-year-old Whittington took a slight step back in 2025 in his sophomore season, catching only 18 of 25 targets for 171 yards and zero touchdowns in 17 regular-season games. The former sixth-rounder in 2024 from the University of Texas has yet to find the end zone in 32 regular-season games (nine starts) and will remain off the fantasy radar in the majority of redraft leagues going into the start of the upcoming campaign
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Jordan Whittington will be competing for the WR3 role in training camp this summer behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, according to Nate Atkins of The Athletic. Whittington was on the field more for the Rams in Year 2 in 2025, but his production dropped from his rookie campaign, as he caught just 18 of 25 targets for 171 yards and zero touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (six starts). The 25-year-old former sixth-rounder in 2024 out of the University of Texas had 22 catches for 293 yards and zero TDs in 15 games (three starts) as a rookie in 2024. Even if he wins the WR3 job this summer over the likes of Xavier Smith, Konata Mumpfield, CJ Daniels, and Tyler Scott, Whittington will be off the fantasy football radar in most single-year formats as long as both Nacua and Adams stay healthy
The author criticizes the Rams' offseason decision to stick with Xavier Smith as their return specialist over upgrading the position, citing his costly muffed punt in the NFC Championship and mediocre production. While acknowledging the team's overall strong offseason and future at quarterback with Ty Simpson, the author believes the lack of investment in special teams could be a significant disadvantage against top contenders
Nearly everyone expected the Los Angeles Rams and Sean McVay to add another receiver this offseason behind Puka Nacua and late-career Davante Adams . Materially speaking, they did not. That’s not to say that LA didn’t have a chance to add another starting-level receiver. They instead opted not to. The Rams could have targeted a mid-tier free agent like Romeo Doubs , Jalen Nailor , Tyquan Thornton , Olamide Zaccheaus , or others. LA focused on defense and special teams by adding Jaylen Watson , Grant Stuard , and a long snapper. Infamously, USC WR Makai Lemon was on the board when LA was on the clock in the first round at 13th overall. The team maintains they attempted to trade back, but ultimately stayed and picked quarterback Ty Simpson . It was immediately evident that the Rams felt compelled to stay aggressive with their future draft picks after selecting their signal caller of the future. They could have traded back into the first round for, say, Omar Cooper. They stayed pat. And to throw fuel on the fire, the Rams drafted Max Klare on day two—marking back-to-back draft classes with tight ends in the second round ( Terrance Ferguson in 2025). Convention is telling us Los Angeles needs a third receiver. The team doesn’t seem concerned at all. If we are reading the tea leaves, are the Rams planning to shift away from their historical usage of 11 personnel under McVay? Is this now primarily a 12 and 13 personnel team? Our first sign of a potential change cam in the playoffs, where the third receiver was on the field 50% less than they were in the regular season : If the Rams are at least in 12 personnel—meaning that (two of) Ferguson, Allen, or Higbee are on the field with Parkinson, then one of the receivers must come off. These complimentary tight ends were on the field more often than the reserve receivers in Whittington, Mumpfield, and Smith. The tight ends also saw more targets. We can conclude the overall usage numbers are roughly the same, but that is still a significant takeaway for what could be in store for the 2026 Rams. This isn’t the same offense we are accustomed to that will operate primarily out of 11 personnel. The third receiver role was devalued by more than 50% in the playoffs, and that is the benchmark we should be using into next season. The Rams could also lean further into their tight end usage now that Ferguson will be more experienced in year two and with the addition of second round draftee Max Klare. This would further diminish the production potential for the receivers after Nacua and Adams. Yes – it seems the Rams have a hole at WR#3. This is no longer the same offense. It doesn’t make sense for the Rams to pay a premium for a third receiver when they could be on the field at least 50% less often in 2026. LA has changed their way of thinking. We need to update our outlook too. Even if the Rams deploy tight ends more often than wide receivers in 2026, I have concerns. Nacua and Adams are no stranger to injuries. We also cannot assume that late-career Adams will produce at the same level he did a season ago. It’s a stark drop off from LA’s top two targets to the likes or Jordan Whittington , Xavier Smith , Konata Mumpfield , and CJ Daniels. And while LA are predominant Super Bowl favorites according to the betting markets, they are certain to trail late at some point this season. It’s difficult to lead a comeback without sufficient firepower on offense. Will the decision to invest more heavily in tight end than receiver come back to bite the team late in games? Do you trust Whittington or Mumpfield to make catches and keep games alive? One fortunate development that should help alleviate these concerns are the utilization of TE Terrance Ferguson, who cannot slot squarely into a traditional depth chart . Ferguson seems to be as much of a receiver as a tight end, especially considering he played in the slot on 50% of his passing snaps a year ago: Ferguson may also be the answer to th
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The Rams selected WR CJ Daniels in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, adding him to a wide receiver room led by Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Daniels will compete for the third receiver spot, but fantasy relevance is limited due to the team's tight end focus. However, with Adams aging and Nacua's injury history, Daniels has potential as an injury fill-in and is a deep league stash
Sean McVay discussed his vision for rookie wide receiver CJ Daniels, whom the Rams selected in the sixth round of the NFL Draft. McVay highlighted Daniels' maturity and engagement, comparing his potential to Puka Nacua's successful late-round drafting. Daniels will compete for a starting role against Jordan Whittington and Xavier Smith
