Chiefs draft SMU WR Rashee Rice in second round of NFL Draft
The Kansas City Chiefs made all of these acquisitions in the offseason to replace everything they lost like edge rusher, linebacker, offensive lineman, and even safety. But the one they didn't replace in free agency was the receiver position after losing JuJu Smith Schuster.They need to bring in a guy that can have receiver one […]
The Kansas City Chiefs made all of these acquisitions in the offseason to replace everything they lost like edge rusher, linebacker, offensive lineman, and even safety. But the one they didn't replace in free agency was the receiver position after losing JuJu Smith Schuster.
They need to bring in a guy that can have receiver one potential and a guy that is bigger, plays physical, and has speed. Those are the things the Chiefs value in receivers, as all of them on their roster have those traits.
With their second round pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Chiefs traded up to ick 55 from 63, and alos sending 122 and 249 to the Detroit Lions, and drafted SMU receiver Rashee Rice.
The Chiefs are getting one of the most physical receivers in the draft. He has the size at 6'1" to be physical off the line and the speed to get past the secondary. His catch radius is great and his footwork isn't too bad either. Rice is also one hell of a run blocker. Playing with Mahomes will only make him better too.
Rice finished his 2023 season at SMU with 96 catches for over 1,350 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. He has two things that made him fall as low as he did. He played at a smaller school which means the competition isn't as good. And, he also doesn't have the best release moves.
A to Z Sports' Tyler Browning evaluated Rice and wrote the following:
Very sudden in his ability to gear down and stop. Gets defenders to open up their hips before he cuts back the opposite way. One-cut runner in his breaks. Knows how to sell routes and extend his open window with his eyes. Works back to the QB at the top of his route. Shows some serious effort in getting to his man, even if they get a head start. He makes it his mission to cut them off. Isn’t afraid to take on contact from a LB
Below is The Athletic's Dane Brugler's scouting report, as well:
A three-year starter at SMU, Rice moved from the slot to the perimeter as a senior in head coach Rhett Lashlee’s power-spread offense. At a program that has produced a long list of quality receivers, he had the most prolific season school history in 2022, breaking Emmanuel Sanders’ receiving yards record and ranking No. 1 in the FBS with 112.9 receiving yards per game. With his ability to frame his catches, Rice times his leaps and wins jumps balls, leading the FBS with 18 catches of 20-plus air yards downfield in 2022. Though he makes tough catches look easy, he is also guilty of dropping some easy ones and will freelance at will. Overall, Rice must prove he has NFL-level consistency (in all areas) to compensate for his average speed, but he is a ball winner with natural instincts after the catch. He can be a quality contributor early in his NFL career.
