What a former Super Bowl MVP loves about Puka Nacua

After two eye-catching seasons in the NFL, Puka Nacua has garnered praise from a former Super Bowl MVP.

Nacua recently appeared on former New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman’s “Games with Names” podcast.

As a three-time Super Bowl champion, Edelman knows a thing or two about having a successful receiving career in the NFL.

Edelman is one of eight wide receivers — nine if you count Desmond Howard who was a receiver and kick returner and returned a kickoff 99 yards in the big game — to win Super Bowl MVP in the game’s 59-year history.

The latest to earn that honor was Cooper Kupp, Nacua’s mentor.

During the episode, Edelman didn’t hide his love of Nacua. He introduced the former BYU receiver as “one of my favorite dudes in the league.”

Why Julian Edelman loves Puka Nacua

Edelman called Nacua’s historic rookie season “the best rookie season of all time for a receiver.”

Nacua broke the NFL’s records for most rookie receptions and rookie receiving yards in a single-season. He also set the NFL’s record for most receiving yards for a rookie in a playoff game.

Edelman heaped praise on Nacua.

“I’ve seen you on that backside as an X, hit that slant route. Great release, cross face, get him running up field, flip his hips, cut his face. You’ve done really good with that,” he said.

Edelman added, “You’re really great with the ball in your hands. You’re strong through contact. You make contested catches a bunch.”

He connected some of Nacua’s success to his time playing basketball growing up, including at Orem High School.

“One of the one things that I was really impressed with, which is probably from your basketball, is the way you stack guys. So like when you have a bow route and the guy plays outside leverage and you bend it on him, you kind of lean on him and leave the quarterback a spot up field for him to throw in that bucket. It’s kind of like a basketball stack,” Edelman said.

Edelman said he is excited to see what Nacua can accomplish in his third NFL season after a fully healthy offseason.

“You have a lot of great tools and I’m excited to watch you going into your second real go-around because last year you were banged up at first. This is your first healthy off season,” he said.

Edelman has high expectations for Nacua this upcoming season and beyond, saying the Rams “are going to be building around” Nacua.

“This is going to be a fun year,” he said.