Matt LaFleur admits he wasn't excited when Rams drafted Cooper Kupp, and here's why
Matt LaFleur admits he wasn't excited when Rams drafted Cooper Kupp, and here's why LaFleur: "And I know that makes me look like an idiot"
It's never easy to know what a draft prospect is going to turn into as a pro in the NFL. Some players simply don't pan out despite having a terrific scouting report out of college, while others far outplay their lower draft slots.
Cooper Kupp is certainly in the latter category, going from third-round pick to Offensive Player of the Year, triple crown winner and Super Bowl MVP in his fifth season. He was by no means a slam dunk when the Rams picked him 69th overall, especially considering he didn't test particularly well athletically and he was coming from an FCS school in Eastern Washington.
Former Rams offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur even admits he wasn't excited about the pick when Los Angeles made it in 2017.
'We've drafted players that I haven't been really excited about that two years down the line I was ecstatic about. And I'd be like, man,' LaFleur said on the 'Bussin' With The Boys' podcast.
Cooper Kupp was one of them.
'We're in L.A. and we drafted Cooper Kupp and I thought we needed a speed receiver and it didn't take long before I realized I was like, I was like, 'Goddamn, I'm glad we got Cooper Kupp because he was a baller,'' LaFleur said. 'And I know that makes me look like an idiot because how couldn't you see that Cooper Kupp was going to be what he's what he's become?'
Kupp quickly became a staple of the Rams' offense, and his ability to block is what turned 11 personnel into Sean McVay's base package in his first season in L.A. He was a do-it-all receiver for the Rams and had it not been for injuries, he would've put up even bigger numbers.
Still, he ranks fourth in Rams history with 7,776 receiving yards, third with 634 catches and third with 57 touchdown receptions. Not even Les Snead and McVay could've seen those numbers coming from a third-rounder receiver out of Eastern Washington.
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