First of all, my most emphatic condolences if you’re a season-long Cooper Kupp owner. We’ve all seen the walking boot tweet. We all were banking on his ankles being healthier than they have been in three years, since his triple-crown-winning 2021 season.
But, here we are. I wrote about Jordan Whittington in my How to replace Cooper Kupp on waivers for Week 3 article, in which I also list a few other non-LA-Rams names, in case you want to pop over there as well. All the help we Cooper Kupp owners can get, etc.
Meanwhile, we’ve seen HC Sean McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford begin involving both former-Buccaneer Tyler Johnson and the rookie out of Texas, Jordan Whittington, in the offense. We also know Matthew Stafford can be a bit of a kingmaker when it comes to volume wide receivers.
It’s that last point that makes Johnson and Whittington particularly intriguing. Especially seeing as how the only other established wideout on the Rams roster is Demarcus Robinson. And, bluntly: Enough, already. We know who he is.
There’s still uncharted vertical territory for both Johnson and Whittington. So: who best to pick up between these two west coast enigmas?
Choosing between Tyler Johnson and Jordan Whittington
Tyler Johnson Outlook
J.B. Long, a beat reporter for the Rams on their official website, had us all excited about Johnson last week:
He finished with four fewer targets, 59 fewer yards, and three fewer receptions than his performance in Week 1. Step up he did not. Granted, any Rams receiving line after yesterday’s game against the Cardinals was going to be pretty gross.
A few promising metrics for Johnson:
- He has received two end zone targets in two games so far.
- His average yards per route is 14.1; when he does catch passes, they’ll be for decent yardage.
- Of Johnson’s 99 receiving yards on the season, 80 yards were generated after the catch.
- Johnson has the clear routes-run advantage on Whittington right now (59 to 13).
I think the second point is about as beneficial as it is damning. Stafford has no time to throw the ball right now. He can’t wait for routes to finish and separation to create with the offensive line he currently has. Unless, as has happened before, McVay starts rolling Stafford out more to throw on the bootleg.
I have no doubt Johnson will make some big plays for the Rams before their Week 6 BYE. I just don’t know if, based on what we’re seeing the Rams have him do on the field currently, Stafford’s going to be able to find him downfield.
Jordan Whittington Outlook
Here’s what I said about Jordan Whittington in my piece about replacing Cooper Kupp:
We are encouraged that McVay seems intrigued enough by Whittington’s preseason that he’s already been involved in the running plays during regulation games. Whittington is quick, but he’s raw. All of his workout metrics grade as above average heading into the 2024 NFL Draft:
- 40-yard dash: 61st percentile
- Speed score: 67th percentile
- Burst score: 49th percentile
- Agility score: 86th percentile
- Catch radius: 69th percentile
We know the Rams drafted him in part because he was a fantastic blocker in the run game at Texas. But they’ll need Whittington to flash his receiving chops.
The Rams are going to either have to come to terms with getting decimated until their offense heals up, or they’re going to have to start manufacturing touches for the playmakers they have left.
There’s always the chance that Demarcus Robinson becomes the WR1, simply because of his veteran savvy. It might be a 50/50 split between Johnson and Whittington.
Whittington just strikes me as the bigger play guy to whom the Rams have already shown commitment re. manufacturing touches. He’s been involved on jet sweeps. And Johnson had issues with drops in Tampa. I like Whittington to emerge as Matt Stafford’s new binky, should he ever find enough time to throw the ball again.
Important to note from the above that Whittington is a much more established-and-reputed blocker in the run game than Tyler Johnson. Not only does that automatically gain you more snaps in a McVay offense, but it also creates opportunities for chip block misdirections and looks close to the line of scrimmage.
Whittington has two targets to Johnson’s ten. When you average that out by how many routes each has both run, they have a similar target share: 16.9% for Johnson, 15.4% for Whittington.
Something just tells me that Whittington is more molded to be a McVay/Stafford Ram than Johnson is. All to say—
Bottom Line
For me, it’s Whittington. If you haven’t been able to tell yet, I’m always trying to find buried gold in the hills. Tyler Johnson feels like he’d be a silver doubloon at best, if what we saw in Tampa is anything close to his ceiling. But there’s an argument for both players.
Look for Stafford to establish another serviceable pass-catcher in this Rams offense as they try to grind out wins until their offensive line and stud wideouts get healthy. Meanwhile, I’ll pick up Whittington. Johnson could continue running routes the way he has 59 times already, which means no uptick in snap share. Whittington, however, with his 13 routes so far, is bound to balloon that figure. I like him to do so while experiencing a pleasant increase in fantasy production.
One last sentiment about the Rams as an offensive unit from my How to replace Cooper Kupp on waivers for Week 3 column. Just keep it in mind:
… For early season returns, we should be very concerned about the Rams’ offense now. Their Injured Reserve repository is too crowded already, but I could see Kupp sitting out a few weeks. The Rams have a Week 6 bye, and many of their injured offensive linemen, plus Nacua and maybe Kupp could come back in Week 8 healthy for a second-half surge.
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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