Former Oklahoma WR Drake Stoops scores first preseason NFL touchdown
By Mark Kern
Published:
Former Oklahoma WR Drake Stoops enjoyed a stellar career during his time in Norman, and he is looking to stick with an NFL team as a rookie.
He is entering his second season with the Los Angeles Rams after spending all of last year on the practice squad, and he helped his cause on Saturday as he caught his first career preseason touchdown against the Cleveland Browns.
Stoops is the son of former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, and he played his college football in Norman.
He was there from 2018-2023, playing sparingly early in his career. He entered his final season with 80 catches, 914 yards and 7 touchdowns. However, he had a spectacular senior season, recording 84 catches, 962 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He wasn’t drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, but signed with the Rams’ practice squad. He has also spent time in the UFL, but resigned a futures contract with the Rams in January.
Stoops had 5 catches for 55 yards in 3 preseason appearances last year. He had 2 catches for 28 yards in the Rams’ preseason opener against Dallas earlier this month. He then caught 2 balls for 23 yards last Saturday in a 23-22 win over the L.A. Chargers.
This is the final week of preseason in the NFL, and teams are starting to make decisions when it comes to their personnel. For someone like Stoops, he isn’t just trying to show the Rams he belongs in the NFL. While teams are having to bring their roster down to the eventual number of 53, they are also looking at seeing what guys gets cut from other teams.
Putting up numbers in the final game just might be the difference between being on a roster and being on the outside looking in.
