Brenden Rice NFL Draft Overview
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6′-2″
Weight: 212 pounds
School: USC
2024 NFL Draft: Brenden Rice Scouting Report
Brendan Rice began his career at Colorado, but in 2022, Rice transferred to USC to play for Lincoln Riley and set career highs in receptions (39), yards (611), and touchdowns (four) in his first season with the Trojans. In 2023, he expanded beyond those numbers, logging 45 catches for almost 800 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Rice is a big guy who is fearless in using his size to make a play. He has a good sense of where the ball is going and can react quickly to passes that aren’t on target. Rice has excellent positioning and body control, especially near the sideline. He has reliable hands and can catch most passes thrown his way. Rice is also a willing blocker who isn’t afraid to get physical and can help his team by sealing the edge. At the Senior Bowl, he showed the physicality that scouts hoped to see and displayed an alpha mentality throughout the process.
Brenden Rice struggles to separate downfield as defensive backs hang on him consistently. He often gets jammed while working down the sideline and has little upside after the catch despite some athleticism.
Rice can still seek greater consistency as a route runner past vertical concepts, and he doesn’t have elite flexibility regarding route running efficiency. But Rice does have enough fluidity to build on in his game. He has the speed, burst, and strength to create a solid foundation as a receiver in the NFL.
Strengths
- Brenden Rice is a natural, strong-handed catcher. He attacks the ball with an alpha mentality and has consistent, reliable hands. He tracks well across all levels and makes difficult catches consistently.
- He has excellent spatial awareness and makes toe-drag catches look effortless;
- Rice possesses excellent burst and suddenness, as well as incredible drive. He never quits on a play;
- He is excellent at the line of scrimmage and is noted as a weight room warrior on Bruce Feldman’s Athletic Freak list;
- Rice is a prototype receiver with a strong frame, elusiveness, and physicality after the catch;
- Vs. 2024 Draft Wide Receivers (33): Yards Per Route Run 2.75 (11th), Average Depth Of Target 15.1 (7th).
Weaknesses
- Brenden Rice needs to work on his routes, as he is not a proficient route runner and doesn’t sell his routes effectively;
- Rice telegraphs his intentions as a receiver, appearing too comfortable fighting for catches;
- He didn’t consistently play physically during his routes at USC despite being able to do so. He must increase his physicality when up against physical corners and play through contact. He is a bully until he faces one;
- Rice’s performance could be more consistent; he shows flashes of dominance but often doesn’t reflect it in the stats;
- Vs. 2024 Draft Wide Receivers (33): Pro Football Focus Receiving Grade 79.4 (14th), Yards After The Catch Per Reception 5.2 (24th), Target Dominator Percentage 17.8% (24th).
NFL Comparison: George Pickens
Team Fits With Need At Position: San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs, Carolina Panthers
Projection: Round 2
Bottom Line on Brenden Rice
Brenden Rice, son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, possesses a profile similar to his dad’s. He is a physical receiver with a great frame and can outmuscle defenders at both the line of scrimmage and the catch point. He has an alpha mentality when making contested catches and shows reliable hands when tracking the ball across all three levels of the field. Rice has all the necessary raw tools to play as a boundary X receiver. He boasts good vision and consistently breaks tackles while moving the ball forward.
However, Rice needs work on his route running as he tends to rely more on physicality to make catches. Despite this, he has a strong pair of hands and can be a safety blanket for quarterbacks due to his wide radius. He is a big and strong target who can win over the top and near the goal line, but his production often comes in spurts.
Rice has an impressive lineage, tools, and performance during Senior Bowl practices, making him a promising candidate to be drafted in the second round. He is expected to test well and continue to rise in the process. Rice is an NFL-ready receiver with a diverse skill set. Although there are some concerns about his potential and whether he has sufficient dynamism to be a top-tier receiver, he can still come in on day one and be a reliable number three receiver who has the potential to evolve into a good number two receiver.
Main Photo: Vasha Hunt – USA Today Sports
