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It was getting late in the draft when the Los Angeles Rams went on the clock for the last time at No. 242 overall. They hadn’t yet grabbed a wide receiver and all of the top names were already off the board.
But just before they went on the clock, they began looking at some of the available wideouts and Konata Mumpfield’s name was there. Sean McVay and Les Snead flipped on Mumpfield’s college tape from the University of Pittsburgh and didn’t hesitate to put his name on the card.
In that episode of “Behind the Grind”, we got to see McVay’s reaction to watching Mumpfield, whom he may not have studied closely. He was genuinely impressed, saying unequivocally that he was the best receiver available.
“He’s the best receiver. That’s not close,” McVay said. “He makes some impressive adjustments too, now. Can change his route tempo. This is impressive. I like the way he’s wired, for sure. Mumpfield seems like a good pick in the seventh.”
That was back in April and ever since the Rams drafted him, Mumpfield has steadily improved. He’s been flashing in training camp, even getting opportunities with the first-team offense. That’s no small feat, especially on a team with Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington.
Mumpfield’s play has been so impressive that Adams raved about him in a recent press conference. It makes Adams feel like a “proud dad” watching him make plays and “kill some of (the Rams’) better corners” in practice.
"I've seen stuff from even Konata since he's been out here that's opened my eyes, not necessarily like, ‘Oh my God, I've never seen that’, but it’s him changing up his pace and working through some things, seeing some of the errors and the trial and error I guess I could say," Adams said. "Even over the course of three practice days, how he can transform and go and kill some of our better corners on some amazing routes. It's fun for me just watching the growth of him, talking through it, seeing somebody fail, doing something a certain way and then going out there and knocking it out of the park. I feel like a proud dad watching him out there.”
That was on Saturday before the pads even came on in practice. Following Wednesday’s walk-through, offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur had similarly glowing things to say about the rookie receiver.
Mumpfield’s maturity, knowledge and attention to detail have caught the attention of LaFleur.
“He just understands football,” LaFleur said Wednesday. “He understands stems. He understands angles. He has a great feel for space and a knack for space. His route tempo changes. He’s catching the ball great. He’s fearless in terms of going over the middle and stuff like that. Obviously, that'll have to come to fruition when we get into real games when safeties and linebackers can actually light you up and stuff like that. I think from his college film and what I've seen from his demeanor, I don't think that's going to be a problem. Most importantly, he's just fitting in with guys. He's a very mature rookie. I am really excited about Mump.”
It sounds similar to when Nacua came into the league and had an immediate impact as the Rams’ top receiver in 2023. He was a smart and physical rookie who played without fear – and still does in Year 3.
And like Nacua, Mumpfield didn’t wow anyone with his pre-draft testing. At 5-foot-11 and 186 pounds, Mumpfield only ran a 4.59 in the 40-yard dash, which was the fourth-slowest time of any wide receiver in attendance. Like Nacua and Cooper Kupp before him, Mumpfield doesn’t win with speed.
He’s a crafty route-runner and smart player who pays attention to the little things, similar to the way Adams does with his routes. Those traits made Kupp and Nacua draft gems for the Rams, and Mumpfield might just be next in line as the Rams’ latest find.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams training camp: Konata Mumpfield emerging as potential draft gem
Continue reading...
But just before they went on the clock, they began looking at some of the available wideouts and Konata Mumpfield’s name was there. Sean McVay and Les Snead flipped on Mumpfield’s college tape from the University of Pittsburgh and didn’t hesitate to put his name on the card.
In that episode of “Behind the Grind”, we got to see McVay’s reaction to watching Mumpfield, whom he may not have studied closely. He was genuinely impressed, saying unequivocally that he was the best receiver available.
“He’s the best receiver. That’s not close,” McVay said. “He makes some impressive adjustments too, now. Can change his route tempo. This is impressive. I like the way he’s wired, for sure. Mumpfield seems like a good pick in the seventh.”
That was back in April and ever since the Rams drafted him, Mumpfield has steadily improved. He’s been flashing in training camp, even getting opportunities with the first-team offense. That’s no small feat, especially on a team with Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington.
Mumpfield’s play has been so impressive that Adams raved about him in a recent press conference. It makes Adams feel like a “proud dad” watching him make plays and “kill some of (the Rams’) better corners” in practice.
"I've seen stuff from even Konata since he's been out here that's opened my eyes, not necessarily like, ‘Oh my God, I've never seen that’, but it’s him changing up his pace and working through some things, seeing some of the errors and the trial and error I guess I could say," Adams said. "Even over the course of three practice days, how he can transform and go and kill some of our better corners on some amazing routes. It's fun for me just watching the growth of him, talking through it, seeing somebody fail, doing something a certain way and then going out there and knocking it out of the park. I feel like a proud dad watching him out there.”
That was on Saturday before the pads even came on in practice. Following Wednesday’s walk-through, offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur had similarly glowing things to say about the rookie receiver.
Mumpfield’s maturity, knowledge and attention to detail have caught the attention of LaFleur.
“He just understands football,” LaFleur said Wednesday. “He understands stems. He understands angles. He has a great feel for space and a knack for space. His route tempo changes. He’s catching the ball great. He’s fearless in terms of going over the middle and stuff like that. Obviously, that'll have to come to fruition when we get into real games when safeties and linebackers can actually light you up and stuff like that. I think from his college film and what I've seen from his demeanor, I don't think that's going to be a problem. Most importantly, he's just fitting in with guys. He's a very mature rookie. I am really excited about Mump.”
It sounds similar to when Nacua came into the league and had an immediate impact as the Rams’ top receiver in 2023. He was a smart and physical rookie who played without fear – and still does in Year 3.
And like Nacua, Mumpfield didn’t wow anyone with his pre-draft testing. At 5-foot-11 and 186 pounds, Mumpfield only ran a 4.59 in the 40-yard dash, which was the fourth-slowest time of any wide receiver in attendance. Like Nacua and Cooper Kupp before him, Mumpfield doesn’t win with speed.
He’s a crafty route-runner and smart player who pays attention to the little things, similar to the way Adams does with his routes. Those traits made Kupp and Nacua draft gems for the Rams, and Mumpfield might just be next in line as the Rams’ latest find.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams training camp: Konata Mumpfield emerging as potential draft gem
Continue reading...
