Everyone loves a good draft sleeper story that ends up paying off, and Puka Nacua is a perfect example. He was picked on Day 3 — not exactly the most glamorous start to an NFL journey — but looking back, he believes it helped shape him into the player he is today.
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Despite turning into a borderline superstar in just two years, Puka dropped to the 177th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft — a fifth-round selection. At the time, not many knew who he was. Hailing from BYU after transferring from the University of Washington, Puka didn’t have the best NFL Combine either, especially in the 40-yard dash, which carries a lot of weight for wide receiver prospects. His time was 4.57 seconds.
Still, Puka couldn’t believe he had fallen so far on his draft night. He was surprised that many teams didn’t see him fitting into their system. So, when the Rams finally called, it was a huge sigh of relief — and a reminder that all he needed was one opportunity.
“Being a sleeper means believing in yourself 1000%,” Puka shared. “The 2023 NFL draft became a little bit more difficult as the rounds went on. How did nobody see me fitting in their system? Just hearing Mr. Snead’s voice on the phone and being like, phew, somebody actually called.”
The LA Rams GM, Les Snead, probably didn’t know it at the time, but he was calling to welcome a future Pro Bowl wide receiver to the squad — on Day 3, at that. Luckily, Puka didn’t care about the round or the spot once he got the call. He simply wanted to make an instant impact.
“Being a sleeper is not a chip on my shoulder. It’s been a blessing in my life that somebody believed in me. It just makes it so exciting because I know that the opportunity wasn’t guaranteed. I was lucky enough to put the pressure on myself to prove the people who believed in me, their belief was in the right place,” added the wideout.
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And oh, was the belief in the right place? Puka ended his rookie season by breaking the rookie records for catches and yards in a season. Even though both were topped this past season, it was still an impressive achievement that nobody expected. At the beginning of the season, people were asking, “Who’s Puka Nacua?”
By the end of it, though, Puka made sure everyone knew his name. And how could you not? It’s so catchy. That’s what being a sleeper is — going from unknown prospect to borderline superstar in just one season. It happens every year in the NFL. This past season, Bucky Irving shocked everyone as a fourth-round pick.
It makes you wonder: who will be the sleeper of this year’s draft? The obvious choice is Shedeur Sanders, but there’s probably a running back or wide receiver who hasn’t even been selected yet who could pop off in 2025.
