Cooper Kupp is still underrated one year after winning Super Bowl MVP

One year after having arguably the greatest season for a wide receiver of all-time, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp continues to be underrated. Kupp won the NFL’s triple crown for a wide receiver the first time since Steve Smith in 2005 and capped it off by winning the Super Bowl MVP. However, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown didn’t put Kupp in his top-5 wide receivers at Super Bowl LVII media day.

On AJ Brown’s top-5 wide receiver list, he put Justin Jefferson, Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs, and of course himself. Brown listed off the first four wide receivers on that list and requested to start over only to name the same wide receiver. He gave himself a second chance and still missed Kupp.

It’s hard to argue a majority of Brown’s list, even himself. However, there’s no question that Kupp deserves a spot somewhere on that list. Jefferson, Hill, and Adams are clear locks as Adams and Hill had production without Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers. Outside of Brown, you can argument that Kupp should be at least fourth on the list ahead of Diggs.

Kupp being left off of the list might be more of a case of outside of sight, out of mind situation. Still, in week’s one through 11, Kupp ranked third in the NFL in receptions, sixth in yards, and tied for fifth in touchdowns. The Rams receiver was once again leading the league in yards after the catch.

Taking Kupp’s production and applying it over 17 games and he would have finished 2022 with 141 receptions for 1533 yards, and seven touchdowns. That would have ranked first, third, and 15th. Obviously that’s not necessarily how stats work, but it gives an idea of where Kupp could have potentially finished had he not gotten hurt.

With the Rams out of contention during the second half of the season, the team shut Kupp down for the year. He’ll have a chance to bounce back and prove that he belongs back in the top-5 in 2023.