CJ Daniels didn’t wait long to make his presence felt at Rams training camp.
The rookie wide receiver, a sixth-round pick, entered the offseason with a real chance to climb into the mix at WR3 behind Davante Adams and Puka Nacua. He didn’t create much noise during OTAs, but that changed quickly once camp opened. On Tuesday, Daniels put together a practice that drew attention from inside and outside the building.
Team reporter Stu Jackson said Daniels had a strong day and caught just about everything thrown his way. Another media observer put it even more bluntly: “Shocker: The @RamsNFL may have found a keeper in Miami WR CJ Daniels. The rookie is putting on a show today”
That kind of buzz is familiar territory for the Rams, who have built a reputation for finding value late at wide receiver and turning those picks into useful pieces. Puka Nacua arrived in the fifth round in 2023 and became an All-Pro-caliber receiver.
Jordan Whittington followed as a sixth-round pick in the next draft and has developed into a solid role player. Daniels is already drawing the kind of early attention that makes it easy to wonder whether he could follow a similar lane.
Head coach Sean McVay liked what he saw.
“He's done a good job,” said head coach Sean McVay. “You can see he's come in, no-nonsense mentality, but he enjoys football.
And then he's really a great listener. I'm excited about CJ and he'll be another guy when you talk about the importance of the preseason.
He'll be a guy I'm looking forward to watching play and obviously in these practice settings as well.”
Of course, every camp breakout at receiver invites the same comparison: the next Puka Nacua. That’s a heavy label, and Daniels doesn’t need to match Nacua’s rookie explosion to matter. The more realistic path is a fight for snaps and a chance to become a useful piece in the offense.
Whittington still looks like the favorite for the job, with Xavier Smith bringing experience into the competition. Konata Mumpfield is also in the mix and has made plays of his own.
But Daniels has a different kind of profile. His larger frame gives him an edge at the catch point and in contested situations, and that could help him separate in a crowded battle.
The Rams also know what it looks like when a receiver earns trust and sticks. Daniels doesn’t have to become Nacua.
He doesn’t even have to become a star. If he can be dependable, learn the offense, and keep stacking days like Tuesday, McVay will find ways to use him.
That matters even more on a roster that still doesn’t have a clear-cut No. 3 receiver for a second straight year. The Rams didn’t address that need much in the draft, and while the offense may lean heavier and feature tight ends more often, the injury histories of Adams and Nacua make receiver depth impossible to ignore.
It’s early, but Daniels has already made a strong first impression. If he keeps building on that practice and carries it into the preseason, he has a real chance to carve out a role.
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