When third down presented itself Saturday and quarterback Jared Goff needed to keep the sticks moving, he went to Cooper Kupp -- four times in eight third-down situations.

Kupp, a third-round pick after a record-setting career at Eastern Washington, has already solidified a role as the Los Angeles Rams' slot receiver. Now he has become a security blanket for the Rams' second-year quarterback.

The Rams' Cooper Kupp finished Saturday's win over the Raiders with a team-high six catches for 70 yards. Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

In two preseason games, Kupp has hauled in eight of his 10 targets for 105 yards and a touchdown. The Rams' receiving corps includes a legitimate vertical threat in Sammy Watkins, a reliable possession receiver in Robert Woods, a dynamic wild card in Tavon Austin, and two athletic tight ends in Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett. But Kupp is the one who seems poised to lead the Rams in catches this year, because he's so sure-handed and because he has such a knack for getting open.

"He's a great player," Goff told reporters after a 24-21 win on the road over the Oakland Raiders. "He makes it easy for me the way he runs his routes, how friendly of a target he is."

Kupp finished Saturday's game with a team-high six catches for 70 yards. He found himself wide open over the top for a 23-yard touchdown to end the first drive, then made a couple of key catches in drive No. 3, one of which saw him juggle a bullet pass across the middle and somehow hold on to place the ball at the 2-yard line. On the fourth drive, Goff and Kupp connected on two third-down completions. One went 17 yards down the field, the other saw Kupp reel in a catch on a quick slant just before it hit the ground.

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"It's just one of those things where you continue to get comfortable; catch the ball and get a feel for who is around you without really having to look to see who is around you," Kupp said. "Just continue to play faster play in and play out. I think that will just continue to happen the more reps, the farther we get going through this.”

Kupp lives football. He went from no college offers to several college records because he outworks everybody and refuses to be outsmarted or underprepared. He doesn't boast elite straight-line speed, but he makes up for it with instincts and quickness. He has the field awareness of a 10-year veteran and some of the game's most reliable hands. Rams coach Sean McVay considers him "one of the more polished, mature rookies that I've ever been around."

"He just does all the little things the right way," McVay said. "I've been very pleased with him."