Dan Harms
Mar 5, 2023
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 201
Projected 40 time: 4.48
Strength: Adjusting to the football
Weakness: Explosiveness
This dude just makes it work.
Puka Nacua, at times, seemed like a get-out-of-jail-free card for Jaren Hall. Throw it up and see what happens. Having a well-rounded game can get you a seat at the table, and Nacua absolutely has one of those seats. He was used in SO MANY different ways at BYU the last two years, not just in the passing game, but he's got 39 rush attempts while at BYU to boot. After he transferred from Washington, Puka saw an immediate uptick in volume, snaps, and effectiveness.
Puka was BYU's schemed-touch guy in that offense and when they got him in space. he showed some wiggle and good field vision. Getting some blockers in front of him and he can create a big play. The lack of top-end speed hurt his all-around game, but he's a good weaver of traffic and has good eyes. Those eyes show up in every part of the field. The use of Puka in creative ways helped him to 16 touchdowns over his two seasons at BYU. Getting him the ball turned into more than just space touches. Soon, Puka was turning into a guy that Jaren Hall(also in this draft class) would turn to when he needed a play.
Trust.
One thing every quarterback wants to have in the receivers he plays with on every down. Puka earned that trust from Hall with plays like this. He's got a great feel for the field and displays an understanding of how to be sudden and use it in his routes. Puka sells the deep post all the way to the top of his route, then digs his foot in the ground and cuts to the corner. In doing so, he makes the defender lose track of where he is on the field. Hall puts this right behind the defender at the boundary, and Puka comes down with it. Both feet in.
Touchdown.
Sometimes, you have to bail out your quarterback. Puka does a great job, once again, of selling the route. Sells vertically to the corner then blows by him on the deep post move. Aided by an underthrow from Hall, the corner uses his speed to get back to the catch point of Puka and it doesn't matter. He tracks the ball well at all areas of the field. Puka's going to use the fact that the defender is screaming back to him against him. He waits until the corner makes contact, knowing he isn't looking for the ball, decelerates, and comes underneath the arms of the corner to make the contested catch. He's a smart receiver and knows how to use his strengths to his advantage.
I wish he varied his releases more, it gets repetitive and NFL corners will pick up on it, but he regularly used the "stutter and go" method to get open. He's excellent at reading corners. As soon as the hips open to the middle of the field, Puka's gone. Not a huge amount of separation, but it doesn't matter. Inside release and breaks on the in route to a throw in stride from Hall. Puka is an "on-time" receiver.
Consistency. That's the Puka Nacua hallmark, and it's valuable! He's good in and out of breaks and doesn't add extra steps. Always looking for the football, uses his hands well, and then his catch-to-attack transition is quick. All of that allows him to move the ball efficiently down the field when given the opportunity. Not the best YAC athlete, but he makes up for it in other areas.
For a guy that isn't the most explosive athlete, he showed well against press/close coverage. Another stutter release from Puka; I just love the way he attacks space immediately when corners open their hips. Blows by the corner on the inside track and has to adjust to another underthrown football. Arm strength isn't Hall's game. The reliability and ball tracking from Puka are all over his film.
The ABCs of receiver play. Always Be Catching. Just make it happen no matter what. We've seen the tough catch ability from Puka, his short-area route ability, and some manipulation tactics, but the way he adjusts to the football with his eyes, hips, and hands is the ticket. He makes last-minute adjustments for catches in nearly every game I saw from him. Corners are consistently trying to track down Puka and in doing so, they don't have eyes on the football. Puka Nacua is crafty.
Some well-timed jabs and physical play can throw off his timing, but that might be the only thing that does. A smooth-moving receiver that makes excellent adjustments to the football in the air, is where he's supposed to be on the field, and gets in and out of breaks well can make his way in the NFL. His talents are always in demand and should get day 2 draft capital along with mid-round rookie value as well. Should be a PPR machine at the next level.