New Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice already has some fans in the locker room.
Not only did Patrick Mahomes seemingly play a role in bringing Rice to Kansas City, but Chiefs TE Travis Kelce seems to hold the rookie in high regard as well. On the latest episode of his “New Heights” podcast, Travis Kelce recapped the team’s 2023 NFL draft class with his brother Jason Kelce. While Kelce hasn’t met or worked with Rice yet, he did say that he put on some tape and liked what he saw.
The All-Pro tight end’s comments regarding the rookie wideout should get everyone in the Chiefs Kingdom excited for what’s to come in the future.
“I’ll tell you what, he might be the dark horse in this wide receiver class, man,” Kelce said. “I’ll tell you what, man, I was watching some highlights (and) I like what he does with the ball in his hands. He’s got a good feel for voids over the middle of the field and he’s tough as nails, man. I love wide receivers that are just tough dudes, guys that will stick their face in the fan, do the dirty work. He’s a guy that can be counted on in the passing game, but man, I think he’s gonna help us out in a lot of different areas on the field.”
There seem to be some levels to what Kelce likes about the Chiefs’ new second-round draft pick here. First, he mentions his ability with the ball in his hands. Basically, the yards that he’s able to pick up after the catch. He’s not the first one to praise him for that either — Brett Veach likened him to a running back with the ball in his hands.
Secondly, Kelce talked about Rice’s ability to “do the dirty work.” He’s a guy who can find openings in the middle of the field and then actually make a catch in that area of the field. It takes a lot of guts to catch a pass across the middle knowing that you’re probably going to get hit. From what he’s seen on film, Kelce thinks he’s the type who can bring that to the table along with a certain element of toughness.
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