Tutu Atwell of the Los Angeles Rams weighs less than 170-pounds, lacking the build of wide receivers with elite size like D.K. Metcalf or Julio Jones, who both tower at 6-foot-4 and weigh in at 225.
But the diminutive rookie receiver Atwell doesn’t need chiseled arms and legs to thrive in the Rams offense, said wide receiver experts Elon Paige and Evan Yabu, who spoke to Heavy.
Paige, son of NFL veteran Stephone Paige, who once trained Rams safety Juju Hughes, and Yabu, Thousand Oaks High School head coach who has trained with current Rams players, both told Heavy that the 5-foot-9, 165-pound 2021 draft pick Atwell is a prime fit for head coach Sean McVay’s offense.
Paige Sees a ‘Cheetah’ for Rams Offense
Paige, who played at Southwest Baptist University and Sacramento State, sees similarities to one Kansas City Chiefs star wideout in scrutinizing Atwell’s game.
“When I was looking at his film, he looks like Tyreek Hill,” Paige said.
Hill, the fifth-fastest player in the league, carved out his resume as a receiver who blazed the 40-yard dash in 4.29 before catching a career-high 15 touchdowns in 2020. Atwell ran the 40 in 4.32 seconds, helping elevate his draft stock to second-round status.
Paige is encouraging Rams fans and talent evaluators to look past Atwell’s frame, saying “Size is subjective. Look at the Kansas City Chiefs: All small receivers. But if you fit the system, you’re good. What Sean McVay does is perfect for him: Get rid of the ball early for the short gain or take the downfield shots.”
Paige also likes the focus Atwell displays when catching the ball, adding “I was watching some of the balls that was coming over the top of his head. He has great tracking, knows how to locate and has really good body control.”
Atwell Ran What the Rams Run, Yabu Says
In 32 games at Louisville, plus going against national powerhouses Clemson, Notre Dame and others from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Atwell racked up 2,303 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns.
Yabu developed an understanding of the Rams playbook through his workouts with quarterback John Wolford, tight end Tyler Higbee and wide receiver Nsimba Webster. Yabu said the routes Atwell ran and how he attacked defenses is similar to how the Rams operate their receivers.
“Tutu ran a lot of the routes that the Rams run: Stuff where he’s in the slot, they’re going stretch action and he’s dividing back across the formation catching the ball in the flat off of the play action,” Yabu said. “He’s caught about eight to 14 10-yard outs. In the Rams playbook, they call that a ‘Pressure’ and they run it all over the place. He stretched the field and showed he can create separation over the top running the burst corners, basically the sidelined-based routes.”
The Rams have plugged receivers like Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and even the tight end Higbee in multiple areas, either lining them up inside at the slot position or using motions to create mismatches. Versatility is a key component for the Rams wideouts, and Yabu believes Atwell has the ‘V’ word attached to his game, making him a prime fit for the Rams.
“They’re able to catch the ball in the flat and be an explosive big-play threat. They all got the intermediate savviness to find space, catch the ball in the 12 or 18-yard range and they are all deep threats. To me, Tutu fits that mold of being all of them,” Yabu said.
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Tutu Atwell Fits the Rams Perfectly, Receiver Experts Say