Cooper Kupp has been a stud since coming into the NFL as a third-round pick in 2017. He’s totaled 3,570 yards and 24 touchdowns in four seasons, averaging 892.5 yards and six touchdowns per year despite missing 10 games.
Kupp has made a name for himself as a security blanket for Jared Goff, always finding holes in the zone and getting open when the quarterback is under duress. In fact, he’s earned the nickname “Third and Kupp” because of how good he is on that crucial down.
The numbers are there to back it up, too. According to Pro Football Focus, Kupp has the second-highest grade of any wide receiver on third down since 2019, behind only the great Davante Adams.
Highest-graded WRs on 3rd down since 2019:
🥇 Davante Adams – 91.7
🥈 Cooper Kupp – 90.1 pic.twitter.com/THTP0hdwvu— PFF (@PFF) March 8, 2021
Looking at Kupp’s splits during his career, it’s easy to see how good he is on third down. He’s caught 95 passes for 1,393 yards and 13 touchdowns for an average of 10.0 yards per target, which are all his highest totals of any down played. He’s also picked up 75 first downs on third down, 25 more than on second down and more than double his total on first down (37).
It’s no wonder Goff looked Kupp’s way so often throughout the last four seasons and that’s likely to continue next season with Matthew Stafford under center.
