For me, I think one of the most positive aspects of Kupp's historic success this year could be the precedent for the future success of white wide receivers coming into the league. While the Caste System propaganda is relentless - I think this has the potential to have a big impact in years to come.
Although in some ways it is a bit counter-intuitive, the fact that Kupp did what he did without having the measurables of a Jordy Nelson or a Matt Jones makes it harder to explain away his success as being an athletic freak. He has shown to the next generation of athletes that despite only clocking a 4.6 forty-yard dash - he is plenty fast enough and can run every route and make every catch.
Following Wes Welker's success with the Patriots, he effectively became the pioneer of the slot receiver position and created an "acceptable" niche in the NFL's ecosystem for white wide receivers to succeed. After Welker, white slot receivers were accepted - and even in some cases sought after. Without Welker, it is unlikely players like Danny Amendola, Cole Beasley, Julian Edelman etc would have got the opportunities to prove themselves on the big stage.
Despite all the good things that developed from this, there was still a caveat. As effective as they proved to be, I think there was a very real sense that white slot receivers were tolerated because they were not "real" receivers in the mold of a Randy Moss or a Jerry Rice. Slot guys were limited in their effectiveness, as they couldn't succeed on the perimeter or down the field with the best corners. As the game evolved away from the run-heavy style of the 1990s, the slot receiver basically took over the role of the old-school fullback. Just as fullbacks like Moose Johnston played Robin to Emmitt Smith's Batman - so too white athletes could fit in as slot receivers without threatening the ingrained athletic assumptions of the league.
This is where I think what Kupp did can have an even bigger impact than Welker in carving out a space for white receivers. While he operates out of the slot more often than not, he can win on any route both inside and outside the numbers - and at 6'2'' can also go up and make contested catches against the best defenders in the business.
Looking back a few years, it is striking to see how the similarities between Kupp and another great receiver from the Pacific Northwest - Mike Hass.
Physically they are almost identical.
Kupp is 6'2'' 208lbs, runs a 4.62 40-yard dash with a 6.75 second three-cone drill, 116-inch broad jump and a 31-inch vertical jump.
Hass was 6'1'' 210lbs, ran a 4.59 40-yard dash with a 6.97 second three-cone drill, 116-inch broad jump and a 32-inch vertical jump.
On the playing field both dominated their competition, with Hass posting three consecutive 1,000 yard seasons at Oregon and winning the Biletnikoff award in his final year.
While both were touted as mid-round prospects, Kupp was given an opportunity in his rookie year to start, while despite impressive training camp performances Hass was stashed at the bottom of the Saints' roster before being discarded - bouncing around practice squads for a few years without ever getting a chance.
Although Kupp has transcended the slot receiver label he initially received when he entered the league, the success of players like Welker no doubt helped open the door to him getting his opportunity.
However for Hass, at that stage there weren't many contemporaries to follow in the footsteps of. Reading up on some old stories and comments from fan forums (aside from the relentless caste-speak - one article joked his speed could be measured by sundial), the best the top receiver in College football could hope to achieve was a career similar to Ricky Proehl or Wayne Chrebet.
In some ways Kupp's achievements make Hass's story all the more tragic, knowing that he was totally capable of dominating the league in a similar way - but never even got the opportunity to make a single catch. On the flipside, it shows that while the Cast System is still a pervasive force, it is not set in stone and gains can be made. No doubt if Kupp had been born 15 years earlier, there's no way he would dream of achieving the success he has enjoyed in 2021.
