Here are three possible landing spots for steal prospect of the NFL Draft and USC wide receiver, Brenden Rice this year. It’s no secret that the wideout class for the draft is loaded with talent but that doesn’t mean there aren’t gems out there. Rice comes from NFL royalty as he is the son of one of the greatest to ever step on the field, Jerry Rice. Brenden was a two-year starter at USC after transferring from Colorado in 2022.
Since arrival, he notched 1,402 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns on 84 receptions while creating his path. However, Rice has big shoes to fill after his father’s time with the 49ers but he’s focusing on what he wants to accomplish. The football world still wants to see him succeed in the league and be comparable to what his father did. Brenden isn’t worried about the standard that the league is putting on him, but rather what he can produce on the field.
Rice racked up 12 touchdown catches and 791 receiving yards in his final year before declaring for the NFL Draft. There are high expectations for him but the torch is there for a reason and Rice will take it. However, it would be unfair to judge him according to his accomplishments. Rice became a viable receiver since transferring to team up with Lincoln Riley’s offensive scheme at USC.
There’s a lot of attention surrounding Caleb Williams but Rice is one of those prospects that can be a gem. His father’s legacy isn’t responsible for it but he was able to put on a resume. He uses his size well to track off-target balls while displaying an explosion. Brenden Rice has strong hards to finish difficult catches. Here are three possible landing spots for Rice.
Three Possible Landing Spots for Steal of the NFL Draft Brenden Rice
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens are already loaded for their offense this upcoming 2024 campaign. However, the release of Odell Beckham Jr. shows they’re lacking some wideout depth. They have Zay Flowers but he was the main receiver that was productive other than Mark Andrews. Andrews isn’t a legitimate deep threat so they need one more receiver to go long so Lamar Jackson can continue to throw deep darts.
This is where Rice comes into play to fit with the Ravens offense. Jackson would be already loaded with Rashod Bateman, Flowers and Andrews. So adding Rice would help complement Flowers to beat those one-on-one matchups against top defenders. However, it seems like the Ravens offense is in good hands but it wouldn’t hurt to grab Rice in the mid rounds.
There has been speculation on what flavor they want their receiver class to be. However, if they add rice, expect there to be more exploding speed with the talent they already have. The team also re-signed Nelson Algholor so they’re stacked.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers could use more help at the receiver position after trading for Diontae Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Carolina had a discrepancy in the production between DJ Chark and Adam Thielen. However, the year will be different for quarterback Bryce Young since they seem to be loading their wideout depth. Rice would provide the Carolina franchiser with a deep threat and a complete offense to probably take over the NFC.
Kansas City Chiefs
The wide receiver room for the Super Bowl defending champs was a glaring flaw. However, they were able to accomplish earning another ring but it’s still a hole they need to fill. This means the Rashee Rice investigation and release Marquez Valdes-Scantling shows they need someone to complement Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore. The Chiefs could easily shock the league by drafting one of the best steals available with the first-round pick.
