Rams projected WR depth chart without Puka Nacua

The Los Angeles Rams will be without Puka Nacua for at least four weeks after the Pro Bowl wideout was placed on the IR.

Nacua left Sunday night's season opener against the Detroit Lions after re-aggravating a knee injury, described by head coach Sean McVay as a "PCL sprain."

Nacua, who netted 105 receptions for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie last season, is the WR1 in a talented Rams offense. Before his exit on Sunday, Nacua reeled in four receptions on as many targets for 35 yards.

Matthew Stafford, Sean McVay, and Cooper Kupp can paper over a lot, but Nacua's absence will be deeply felt by the Rams. This is a postseason team on paper, but Nacua's robust route tree and sticky hands are difficult to replicate. There simply is not a one-for-one replacement on the roster. Instead, Los Angeles will need to embrace the classic by-committee approach to replacing Nacua. It's next man up.

Here's how the LA depth chart shakes out without Nacua.

Los Angeles Rams WR depth chart without Puka Nacua

Without Nacua, the Rams are in familiar territory — extremely reliant on the telepathic connection between Stafford and Kupp. After a couple injury-plagued seasons, Kupp was up to his usual tricks in Sunday's 26-20 loss to Detroit. He reeled in 14 catches on a whopping 21 targets, going for 110 yards and a touchdown.

Kupp, at his peak, is quite possibly the best wide receiver in football. His grasp on that mantle has waned significantly over the last couple seasons, but we are talking about the 2021 Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl MVP. Kupp finished third in league MVP voting as a wide receiver, netting 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns (all NFL highs) that season.

It's unreasonable to place that sort of expectation on the 31-year-old, but if Sunday was any indication, the Rams are going to treat Kupp like WR1 until further notice. Nacua will eat into his target share once he's back, but don't think for a second that Los Angeles is without a viable top wideout. Kupp still has the quickness, dexterity, and football I.Q. to tear a defense asunder. His chemistry with Stafford is probably unmatched among QB-WR duos in the NFL.

Beyond Kupp, expect an uptick in targets for Tyler Johnson, who went for five catches and 79 yards in the season opener. The former Tampa Bay fifth-round pick has struggled to carve out a niche in the NFL, but there's clearly a connection established with Stafford. Johnson averaged 15.8 yards per catch on Sunday and could emerge as Los Angeles' primary vertical threat opposite the more dynamic intermediate route tree of Kupp.