How does Cooper Kupp’s 2022 stats compare so far to his 2021 season?

In 2021-2022, Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams had arguably the greatest wide receiver season in National Football League history. The unheralded prospect from Eastern Washington went on to win Offensive Player of the Year and captured the NFL’s triple crown, joining Jerry Rice (1990), Sterling Sharpe (1992), and Steve Smith (2005). Not to mention he was named Super Bowl LVI MVP.

Entering the 2022 season, Kupp spoke about how he wanted to be a better football player than the 2021 season. In his interview, he shared how that didn’t just mean the box score and statistics, but how it meant his job running routes, angles, run blocking, etc. So far, Kupp has looked the part, continuing his dominance on the field. But for our sake as fans, analysts, and writers, we want to know: is Kupp headed towards a better ‘22 season than his record-setting one?

What were his 2021 numbers?

• 17 Games Started
• 145 Receptions [2nd All-Time]
• 191 Targets
• 1947 Yards [2nd All-Time]
• 13.4 Y / R
• 16 Touchdowns [T-15th]
• 8 Drops
• 10 Broken Tackles
• 93.0 PFF Grade (93.1 Receiving / 80.9 Run Blocking)

What are his 2022 numbers (6 games)?

• 6 Games Started
• 56 Receptions
• 72 Targets
• 607 Yards

• 10.8 Y / R
• 5 Touchdowns
• 2 Drops
• 3 Broken Tackles
• 87.2 PFF Grade (88.9 Receiving / 45.4 Run Blocking)

What are his 2022 Projected numbers?

• 158 Receptions
• 204 Targets
• 1719 Yards
• 14 Touchdowns
• 6 Drops
• 9 Broken Tackles

Analysis

Kupp appears to be just off pace of his 2021 season. However, through the first six games of this year, the Rams offense has been below average and at times the league’s worst. If LA can get healthy, particularly the offensive line, Stafford might have more time to unlock the air attack the team unleashed last season. The offense runs through Cooper Kupp and the SB champion is capable of going off every week which could shift his projections overnight.

One area that Kupp appears to be significantly behind in his transformation as an “overall better” football player in 2022 is his run-blocking. Considering Los Angeles’s struggle to run the ball in every game this year, it’s no surprise Kupp is behind.

Kupp still has areas of his game that he will likely improve/surpass this year. Despite seeing more two defender bracket coverages this year, Kupp is still on pace for more receptions and fewer drops.