round 6, pick 213… Rams take WR Jordan Whittington

This topic has 19 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 6 months, 3 weeks ago by zn.

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April 27, 2024 at 5:37 pm #150522
zn
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HEIGHT

6’ 1’’

WEIGHT

205 lbs
ARM

30 3/8’’
HAND

10’’

.

By Lance Zierlein

Overview

A big slot target with excellent toughness, Whittington lacks the explosiveness typically associated with competing in the league. His value comes with his consistency and willingness to do any dirty work necessary. He can be found making tough catches in traffic or getting after opponents as a run blocker. While he shows attention to detail as a route runner, he’s neither fast nor sudden, which is likely to force him into tight work cubicles against NFL coverages. Whittington’s intangibles work in his favor but making a roster will be a challenge.

Strengths

Big frame and plays to his size.

Displays a solid feel for route structure and how to sell it.

Runs up near defender’s toes before breaking off the route.

Toughness to play over the middle.

Great teammate willing to do the dirty work to get the job done.

Weaknesses

Tends to be a little too stiff-legged into sharp-breaking routes.

Acceleration and top-end speed are unimpressive.

Just five career touchdowns on 141 career catches.

Below-average burst in exiting from route break.
April 27, 2024 at 5:43 pm #150524

zn
Moderator

from https://www.therams.com/news/jordan-whittington-nfl-draft-wide-receiver-texas

The 6-foot-1, 205 pound Whittington tallied 42 receptions for 501 yards and one touchdown for the Longhorns while playing in all 14 games last season (eight starts) en route to Honorable Mention All-Big 12 recognition.

April 27, 2024 at 5:50 pm #150527

Eternal Ramnation
Participant

Breaks a lot of tackles in the highlights doesn’t separate like Puka Nacua but he’s tough to get down

April 27, 2024 at 5:57 pm #150529

Hram
Participant

I also think he is a returner, that combined with being a willing blocker could make him very useful on special teams.

April 27, 2024 at 6:04 pm #150532

wv
Participant

Interesting pick. …i guess all the good players are off the board. 🙂

w

v

April 27, 2024 at 6:07 pm #150534

zn
Moderator

April 27, 2024 at 6:14 pm #150535

zn
Moderator

Gleaned from the highlights fwiw: effort guy, with good open field vision for running the ball after the catch. Special teamer who could be on every STs unit, blocking for returns and making tackles in coverage.

April 27, 2024 at 7:17 pm #150550

canadaram
Participant

OURLADS

4.38 Whittington, Jordan| Texas| Cuervo, TX |Proj Rd: 5-7. Height: 6005| Weight: 205| 40: 4.56| Arm: 3038| Hand: 1000| Wingspan: 7358 Two-year starter. All-Big 12 in 2023 and 2022. Nephew of former Raiders’ running back Arthur Whittington. After multiple injuries dating all the way back to high school that hampered him early in his career, Whittington had thoughts of walking away from the game. He stuck it out and finished his career at Texas playing in 29 consecutive games. The lack of pro calibre speed and explosion will create issues for him against pro corners but he can make a name for himself as a back of roster try hard player who will produce more than the sum of his parts. He can break tackles after the catch and shows the kind of competitive nature and play strength that can impact the game as a blocker and on special teams. Size and strength can overwhelm slot defenders. Plays physical. Shows ability to read coverage and snap out of the top of his brakes. Comes back to the ball aggressively. Successful in traffic. No hesitation over the middle and will fight for extra yards. Long list of injuries early in career almost made him walk away from the game. Does not have enough speed or burst to create space to work with. Limited route tree potential. Stiffness through the lower body prohibits him from winning with athletic ability. 2023 stats :42-505, 12.0 ypr, 1 TD.

April 27, 2024 at 9:07 pm #150555

zn
Moderator

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue

Usually around this time, certain draft picks go to possible high CFA targets who they believed would get drafted – especially for possible immediate special teams contributors as Whittington could be. Good YAC player.

April 27, 2024 at 10:56 pm #150563

zn
Moderator

This is unbelievable from Jordan Whittington.

Watch #13 at the bottom of your screen miss the first tackle on an INT, get up, and chase down the defender to force a fumble.

Two plays later, Ewers and Worthy connect on a 45-yard pass. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/yyh1FhY3JS

— Carter Yates (@Carter_Yates16) November 12, 2023

April 28, 2024 at 12:00 am #150572

zn
Moderator

from https://theathletic.com/live-blogs/nfl-draft-2024-rounds-4-7-order-picks-trades-grades/TSEmTpKuGVE1/GIHdJK5AbneA/

A two-year starter at Texas, Whittington was primarily an inside receiver in head coach Steve Sarkisian’s spread, RPO offense (82.2 percent slot in 2023). A former five-star recruit, his Longhorns career didn’t go as planned — primarily because of injuries — but he contributed when on the field and was a team captain as one of the more respected “program” guys on campus. Whittington is well-built, strong and athletic with a good-sized catch radius and competitive balance with the ball in his hands. But he didn’t consistently create for himself as a route runner and never felt like a big-play threat on tape (caught a touchdown once every 28.2 receptions at Texas). Overall, Whittington’s college career was one of perseverance, and although it will take more than that to carve out an NFL career, his dependable and athletic skill set will speak to pro coaches. He projects as a back-end roster receiver with inside-outside ability and special-teams upside.

April 28, 2024 at 1:12 am #150583

zn
Moderator

from https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2024-nfl-draft-grades-all-32-teams#LAR

Whittington — Whittington is one of PFF lead draft analyst Trevor Sikkema‘s favorite late-round receivers. His 27 missed tackles forced after the catch since 2022 ranked third among Big 12 receivers in that span.

April 28, 2024 at 10:32 am #150588

canadaram
Participant

From perusing the socials on the internet, I see that Whittington is a bit of a favourite among Longhorns fans. A bit of a cult-like following. Seems to be a high character guy.

April 28, 2024 at 11:37 am #150593

wv
Participant

Would be nice if he’s a Jack Snow. Or Fred Biletnikoff.

Speed isnt everything, i suppose.

w

v

April 30, 2024 at 3:39 am #150664

zn
Moderator

Instant Analysis: Why Jordan Whittington could be the steal of the draft for the Rams

Brock Vierra

https://sports.yahoo.com/instant-analysis-why-jordan-whittington-222308663.html#:~:text=A%20near%20Rhodes%20scholar%2Dlevel,be%20such%20a%20consistent%20player.

Despite all the hype behind Xavier Worthy and AD Mitchell entering the NFL draft, it is without a doubt that the most consistent pass catcher for the Texas Longhorns over Steve Sarkisian’s tenure has been Jordan Whittington.

At No. 213 overall in the sixth round, the Rams selected Whittington, and it could be the steal of the draft for them.

Whittington, a 6-foot-1 wide receiver from Cuero, Texas is no stranger to adversity. During his five years at Texas, he played for two different head coaches, and while opportunities were sparse due to the immense talent surrounding him including seven offensive skill players being selected in the past two drafts, Whittington has consistently answered when called upon.

Whittington doesn’t have off-the-charts athletic talent, causing him to slide in the draft but he possesses something better. A near Rhodes scholar-level football IQ. Whittington throughout his entire career has put together film of him finding pockets in coverages, cutting routes short, and creating separation based on pre-snap reads that has allowed him to be such a consistent player.

Whittington also has sure hands and the awareness to reroute himself when the pocket collapses on his quarterback. He is a QB’s best friend and despite getting thrown the ball by Casey Thompson, Hudson Card, Quinn Ewers and Malik Murphy, his numbers though not mindblowing, have remained steady.

This is the exact type of receiver that thrives in a Sean McVay offense and with Cooper Kupp getting older, there’s a high possibility that Whittington could see the field early and often. I’m not saying he’s going to put up Puka Nacua numbers but the man has the ability to mess around and have a 1000-yard season.

I’m calling my shot. Jordan Whittington is the steal of the draft.

May 11, 2024 at 12:16 pm #150845

zn
Moderator

Whittington has some skills as a receiver, particularly with the ball in his hand after the catch. But he is also a special teamer capable of playing on different STs units–he blocks, he can be used in kick and punt coverage and as a returner. His character is renowned–a soul of the team type who was loved by everyone for his leadership, work ethic, and passion for the game. He was also renowned for his football IQ and for knowing what every position on offense did every play, so he has a quarterback’s head on him. If he’s Skow, he’s Skow on another level and probably a better all-around receiver than Skow was on top of it.

An ace special teamer who is also a clutch 4th or 5th WR type? Not bad.

from https://www.on3.com/teams/texas-longhorns/news/what-steve-sarkisian-said-about-jordan-whittington-going-to-the-los-angeles-rams-in-the-nfl-draft/

Here’s what [Texas coach] Steve Sarkisian had to say about Whittington going to Los Angeles.

“I love Jordan Whittington and what he meant to our team from a leadership and toughness standpoint. He plays the game the right way. He does all the dirty work that you’re looking for from a great all-around player. Yes, he makes plays on first and second down, but he’s a sure-handed guy on third down. He’s an elite blocker, knows every position on the field and there’s no play that he takes off. He’s a great teammate and a relentless competitor who ultimately only cares about winning. Jordan has all the measurables, too. He has more size and speed than people probably give him credit for, and that’s what allows him to be an every-down player, not to mention the special teams value he provides. He could very easily be a four-core special teamer for any NFL team, he certainly was for us. He’s carried himself like a pro for us, has a bright future in the NFL and will be a great addition to the LA Rams.”

May 17, 2024 at 12:14 am #150944

zn
Moderator

Zooey wrote:

zn wrote:

General manager Les Snead, whose stepson is a long snapper at Texas (Whittington’s alma mater), gushed about the receiver and said everybody in the building referred to him as the Longhorns’ “heartbeat.”

I take that pretty seriously, and that’s encouraging insight. And…on another note, I look at the CB depth chart, and it occurs to me that the Rams must like the look of that. Also encouraging. Because there were guys they could have drafted, but didn’t. Their safeties are suddenly looking pretty damn good with the additions of Curl and Kinchens, and their versatility is important. If they get competent work from Williams and White, any growth Durant and Kendrick show will be bonus.

Whittington strikes me as being a great pick. Not for his WR skills alone–he’s not fast and he’s not quick though he does break tackles at a high rate and has what looks to be excellent open field vision on runs after the catch. A 3rd or 4th WR type who doesn’t challenge the defense on his own but makes clutch plays when he’s out there with other WRs drawing the attention. Kind of what everyone thought Proehl was (though truth is Proehl was actually a very good receiver in his own right.)

But beyond all that, everything you hear about him indicates 2 things that are of value.

* He’s a poster-child of team culture intangibles. Leadership and positivity everywhere. Not just on the team–he reportedly became the team’s representative figure for the entire campus. Pretty much everyone who assessed him talked about his high football IQ. It’s as if he is a future coach who already knows how to “build culture.”

* He has all the signs of being a special teams ace. On every unit. He can do returns; he’s known for his blocking; he’s famously ready and willing to do whatever dirty work that needs to be done; and he seems to be heady, physical, and aggressive when he needs to tackle someone. So he would potentially shine in pretty much every single special teams unit that can use someone of his body type–including a blocker on the LOS for on punts and kicks, a blocker downfield for returns on punts and kickoffs, and a gunner type making tackles in coverage on both punts and kickoffs.

May 29, 2024 at 5:30 pm #151065

zn
Moderator

Experience in Texas’ offense helping Jordan Whittington’s transition to NFL

Stu Jackson

https://www.therams.com/news/experience-in-texas-offense-helping-jordan-whittington-s-transition-to-nfl

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Like all of the current Rams’ rookies, wide receiver Jordan Whittington is consuming a ton of information in a condensed period of time.

Fortunately for him, the way he and his college teammates learned their offense at Texas is making it a little bit easier to process that information, and ultimately transition into the NFL as he learns Los Angeles’ playbook.

“One thing that I can say I took from Texas, and I know that other receivers in my room (there) did, we learned concept-based, and I think that directly translates to this offense,” Whittington told theRams.com. “So just learning it as a concept, the words change, but most of the concepts are somewhat similar. So I think we did a good job at Texas by learning concept-based.”

Whittington compared that acclimation to the first day of freshman year, in terms of “being back to square one” with learning the playbook.

Beyond that concept-based learning carryover, Whittington has also benefitted from joining a wide receiver room led by eight-year veteran Cooper Kupp, who willingly helps ensure each player is set up for success.

“That’s exciting for me,” Whittington said of that ‘square one’ feeling. “Just being able to learn the process again and go through everything these guys are going through. It’s a lot of information in a short amount of time, so just trying to figure out how to be a professional, and I have like one of the best ones in my room. He’s a really good guy, and he’s not selfish with how he learns things. So him just teaching me how to learn and me just watching, I’ve been able to like learn different ways to learn throughout this process.”

Whittington’s special teams experience and ability to play all three receiver positions were the two biggest reasons both general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay identified as what made the former Texas standout an appealing prospect.

His role is still to be determined, which is understandable having been with the team for less than a month. His main focus during this time anyway is on continuing to learn and improve daily.

“This is a new process,” Whittington said. “Like I said, there’s gonna be growing pains, there’s always adjustments and being able to adjust when you’re just starting something. So I’m going through that phase right now of learning, being able to learn, and then at some point, I’ll get that down, move on to the next thing. You just keep on just keep on stacking these days. So that’s what I’ve been focused on.”

May 30, 2024 at 10:50 am #151076

zn
Moderator

from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2024/05/30/rams-jordan-whittington-otas-mike-lafleur-learning/?taid=66588d83e860dd0001d03d1b&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur discussed how quickly Whittington is picking things up, which isn’t necessarily easy with all of the nuances to McVay’s offense.

“First of all, all those rookies, we’re throwing them in a lot of different spots in a lot of different situations,” LaFleur said Tuesday. “Maybe some a little bit more than others, but he’s doing a great job. You can tell he’s really taking what he’s learning in the classroom to the field. I said it last year about Puka, but how beneficial for a young receiver to be in that room with a guy like (WRs coach Eric Yarber) ‘Yarbs’ and then obviously guys like Cooper Kupp and now Puka going into Year 2. What a blessing it is for those guys to be around people like them.”

May 30, 2024 at 3:58 pm #151079

zn
Moderator

Another Los Angeles Rams Steal? New Study Names Rookie Among Best 2024 Draft Route Runners

Ryan Anderson

Another Los Angeles Rams Steal? New Study Names Rookie Among Best 2024 Draft Route Runners

If you were to ask any football fan to name the best wide receivers from the 2024 NFL Draft, they would likely have a long list before they arrived at the Los Angeles Rams 6th-round wide receiver Jordan Whittington.

But according to a new study by Eric Eager at Sumer Sports, Whittington has one of the most unpredictable and versatile route trees among all wide receivers draft, not just in 2024, but since 2020.

Sumer recently conducted an in-depth study of FBS wide receivers from the 2018 to 2023 season on every route run to determine route-running versatility using Shannon Entropy, which aims to provide a singular value on the predictability of the receiver’s next route. Unpredictable route running versatility leads to a higher target rate at the collegiate level. Those with a higher target rate here are also more likely to be drafted (as shown in the gold-shaded bubbles below).

According to their findings, Whittington’s route tree versatility grade is a 3.2. This is the 8th best among receivers drafted since 2020 and 4th best in the 2024 class. While most of the names on this list aren’t the whose-who of recently drafted WRs, most are important role players on thier respective teams.

Screen Shot 2024 05 30 at 11.58.18 AMAnother Los Angeles Rams Steal? New Study Names Rookie Among Best 2024 Draft Route Runners 6

Jordan Whittington’s Route Versatility With Texas and The Los Angeles Rams

Eager points out in his article that “A WR with experience running many different routes at a high level gives defenses issues in coverage and can provide a signal on the level of trust the offensive coordinators have on their route running ability.” and “that the trust of collegiate offensive coordinators in their route running ability may be used in various different ways to get the player targets in the passing game.”

Despite having a versatile route tree, Whittington never became a go-to option that others in this cohort became in college. Whittington received one of the lowest targets per route run while at Texas. Even in his best season, he didn’t lead his team in any traditional statistic.

This could have actually been a symptom of other players around him NOT having as complete route trees. Whittington had one of the shortest average depth of targets among Texas pass catchers last season, 7.2 yards, while Adonai Mitchell was 16.1 yards and Xavier Worthy was 10 yards.

That left Whittington to do a lot of the dirty work at the line of scrimmage and in the intermediate area of the field, which is where a lot of this cohort earned their stripes, including another Rams 2024 rookie, Drake Stoops. Whittington earned the 6th highest PFF grade when catching passes in this area of the field.

This is exactly where the Los Angeles Rams like to operate and it is the reason that they bring on pass catchers like Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua.

Jordan Whittington will have to crack into a tough top three in Los Angeles, but having a versatile route tree will give him a good chance to get in first-team reps in his rookie season
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