Tag: Brenden Rice

Brenden Rice eyes the biggest threat to Jerry Rice’s records

Brenden Rice knows what it means to be an elite wide receiver. Can he himself become one?

Brenden Rice, the former USC wide receiver and the son of Jerry Rice, joined USC legend Keyshawn Johnson on the All Facts No Brakes podcast ahead of the 2024 NFL draft. Brenden Rice discussed his father’s legacy and gave a hint at who can challenge some of Jerry’s all-time receiver records.

Jerry Rice remains the gold standard for NFL wide receivers. He had a high football IQ, difference-making speed, elite-level elusiveness, the long arms needed to make difficult catches, precise route-running ability, and legendary competitive toughness. He was in many ways the Michael Jordan of NFL receivers, marrying athleticism, toughness and intelligence in one complete package. Like Jordan, Rice was at his best in the most important moments of the biggest games. He led the San Francisco 49ers on a long downfield drive for the winning touchdown in the final minute of Super Bowl XXIII over the Cininnati Bengals in January of 1989. He and Joe Montana formed one of the greatest pitch-and-catch combinations in the history of pro football.

Brenden Rice isn’t expected to match Jerry Rice, but he gets his big chance to prove himself in the NFL. A proud papa will be watching.

Here’s Brenden Rice on Keyshawn Johnson’s podcast:

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Brenden Rice reflects on father Jerry Rice’s legacy and the possibility of playing for the 49ers

Brenden Rice has put in the work. Now he waits to see where he might land. Could the 49ers be in play?

Wouldn’t it be something if Brenden Rice was picked by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL draft? Brenden Rice recently talked about his father, Jerry Rice, arguably the greatest receiver of all time.

An NFL. com draft analyst said this about Brenden Rice:

The bloodlines don’t get much better than Jerry Rice, so Brenden Rice might have a head start on the rest of the field. He’s big and plays a physical brand of football when cornerbacks want to fight over space. He lacks sudden feet, so beating press cleanly and separating on short routes could be challenging as a pro. Rice possesses good build-up speed to create deep-ball opportunities once his ball skills are added to the equation. Rice catches with quick, strong hands and good extension to help with frequent contested catches. There are some limitations at play, but he has enough checkmarks to project as an early backup with some upward mobility.

The NFL draft is one month away. We will see what happens with Brenden Rice.

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2024 NFL draft: Chargers hosted USC WR Brenden Rice on top-30 visit

The Chargers are looking at a middle-round wide receiver.

According to The Draft Network’s Justin Melo, the Chargers hosted USC wide receiver Brenden Rice on a top-30 visit.

Brenden, the son of Hall of Fame NFL receiver Jerry Rice, caught for 791 yards and a team-leading 12 touchdowns during the 2023 regular season.

Before his two seasons with the Trojans, Rice played for Colorado. For his four-year collegiate career between the Buffalos and USC, Rice had 1,812 yards receiving and 21 touchdowns.

At 6-foot-2 and 208 pounds, Rice is a big-bodied wideout with decent route-running skills, but his game is predicated on physicality and using his strong hands to engulf passes thrown to him.

Rice was a Reese’s Senior Bowl attendee.

If the Chargers are looking to address the positional group in the middle rounds, Rice could be a potential option.

Jets to host USC WR Brenden Rice on top 30 pre-draft visit

The New York Jets will reportedly host USC wide receiver Brenden Rice on an official top 30 visit. Here is what you need to know.

The New York Jets will reportedly have USC wide receiver Brenden Rice in for an official top-30 visit, according to Tony Pauline.

As part of the pre-draft process, every team is allotted 30 official visits, where prospects come to the team facility for one-on-one meetings.

USC held its Pro-Day on Wednesday, where, according to Pauline, Rice had a “good day” catching passes from Caleb Williams. Rice ran a three-cone of 6.95 seconds and caught the ball “well.” Pauline added that Rice has put together a good pre-draft process, which for him, began at the Senior Bowl.

Rice, the son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, measured in at 6-2 at the NFL Combine and weighed 208 pounds. There, he ran a 4.5 second 40 yard dash and posted a Relative Athletic Score of 7.92 out of 10–although that figure does not take into account any of his Pro-Day numbers.

After beginning his college career at Colorado, Rice spent the last two seasons at USC. During that span, he caught 84 of his 132 targets (64 percent) at an impressive 16.7 yards per catch, while totaling 1,401 yards and 16 touchdowns.

The most recent 2023 season was Rice’s most productive with him hauling in 791 yards at almost 18 yards per catch with 12 scores. Just about all of Rice’s career snaps have come lined up on the boundary.

For more on Rice’s game, here is what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft scouting report:

“The bloodlines don’t get much better than Jerry Rice, so Brenden Rice might have a head start on the rest of the field. He’s big and plays a physical brand of football when cornerbacks want to fight over space. He lacks sudden feet, so beating press cleanly and separating on short routes could be challenging as a pro.

“Rice possesses good build-up speed to create deep-ball opportunities once his ball skills are added to the equation. Rice catches with quick, strong hands and good extension to help with frequent contested catches. There are some limitations at play, but he has enough checkmarks to project as an early backup with some upward mobility.”

If the Jets were to select Rice in the draft, this would be more of a developmental selection for them, in part because of the reasons that Zierlein mentioned.

On top of that, in also having Garrett Wilson, Mike Williams, and a potential early round pick at receiver on the roster, coupled with Allen Lazard and Xavier Gipson, there might not be a ton of snaps available if everyone remains healthy.

However, looking ahead to 2025, Williams will be a free agent, and the Jets will be better situated from a salary cap perspective to get out of Lazard’s deal at that time, potentially providing Rice with more opportunities after a year of learning the offense and adjusting to the NFL.

Last offseason, defensive back Jarrick Bernard-Converse took an official visit with the Jets before Joe Douglas selected him in the sixth round.

WATCH: Caleb Williams wows with insane throw to end pro day

Caleb Williams saved the best for last at his pro day on Wednesday.

All eyes were fixated on quarterback Caleb Williams during USC’s pro day on Wednesday. The presumed No. 1 overall pick worked out for a number of teams in attendance, most notably the Chicago Bears, who of course hold the top selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.

After beginning his workout around shortly before 1:00 pm CT, Williams proceeded to throw a variety of passes, from quick darts to the sideline in the pocket to hitting deep patterns on rollouts. It was a superb performance, albeit with no defense or pass rush, but he saved the best for last.

On his final throw, Williams faked a handoff and proceeded to launch a deep pass to wide receiver Brenden Rice behind his own 15-yard line on a skinny post route. The ball hit rice in stride all the way down the field at the opposite 17-yard line, traveling nearly 70 yards. The pass drew a loud reaction from the crowd on hand.

Pro days aren’t the end all, be all when it comes to draft prospects, especially quarterbacks. But Williams displayed the athleticism and arm strength that were prevalent throughout his collegiate career during this brief session. It’s just another reminder of how talented he is and what he can do at the next level. There should be more of those types of throws to come during training camp if Williams is selected by Chicago next month.

Cardinals to host WR Brenden Rice for official top-30 visit

The Cardinals will use one of their top-30 visits to meet with the son of a Hall of Fame receiver, but not the one you think.

The Arizona Cardinals begin the next phase of the predraft process. With the NFL combine done, we now enter the phase of pro days, workouts and official visits.

Teams are allowed 30 official visits for prospects where they can fly them in and spend multiple days with them in the building. One of those top-30 visits will be used for the son of a Hall of Fame receiver.

It’s not the one you think.

No, it is not Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., expected to be selected in the top five of the draft.

It is USC receiver Brenden Rice, son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, the greatest receiver in NFL history.

Rice has top-30 visits scheduled with multiple teams, including the Cardinals and Carolina Panthers, according to The Draft Network’s Justin Melo.

Rice played two seasons at Colorado before transferring to USC, where he played two seasons.

His production increased yearly and he had 45 receptions for 791 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Trojans in 2023.

He measured 6-foot-2 and weighed 208 pounds at the NFL combine. He ran the 40 in 4.50 seconds and had a 36.5-inch vertical leap and 9-foot-11 broad jump.

Rice is considered a Day 2 pick by many. The Cardinals have four picks on Day 2 of the draft, including three in the third round.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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Panthers reportedly schedule top-30 visit with USC WR Brenden Rice

The Panthers are reportedly set to meet with the son of an NFL legend.

We have our first name for a top-30 visit and it’s pretty familiar one.

According to Justin Melo of The Draft Network, the Carolina Panthers have set up an in-house meeting with University of Southern California wideout Brenden Rice. Rice—who is also set to see the Arizona Cardinals, per Melo— is the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and three-time Super Bowl champion Jerry Rice.

Rice spent his first two collegiate campaigns at the University of Colorado Boulder. He appeared in 17 games between 2020 and 2021, totaling 27 receptions for 419 yards and five touchdowns.

He moved on to USC beginning in 2022, when he reeled in 39 balls for 611 yards and four scores. 2023 would result in a second-team All-Pac-12 nod for Rice, who amassed 791 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.

Rice, 6-foot-2, 208 pounds, turned in a solid performance at the scouting combine in Indianapolis this past week. He recorded his 40-yard dash at 4.50 seconds with a 36.5-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot-11 broad jump.

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2024 NFL draft: Giants load up in 7-round post-Combine mock

In a 7-round post-NFL Combine mock draft, the New York Giants luck out over their first three picks and load up over seven rounds.

The 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana concluded on Sunday, and the fate of many prospects was changed.

With the on-field testing now out of the way, Giants Wire decided to take a second shot at a full 7-round mock draft for the New York Giants.

Because our initial Round 1 mock draft was so controversial, we eliminated all trades in this one just as we had in our first 7-round mock. That’s obviously not how the actual draft will play out but allowing only a single trade the first time was justifiably unrealistic as well.

For this mock draft, we once again used the Pro Football Focus mock draft simulator and left all settings on default. We chose only for the Giants.

Here’s a look at the Giants’ seven-round haul.

Jerry Rice’s son, Brenden Rice, would ‘love’ to play for Giants

Brenden Rice, the son of NFL legend Jerry Rice, says it would be “lit” to play for the New York Giants, who are a “sound” organization.

An NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver’s son said this week at the 2024 NFL Combine that he’d love to play for the New York Giants.

No, it wasn’t Marvin Harrison Jr. It was Brendan Rice, son of the great Jerry Rice, who is regarded by many to be the dean of all wideouts.

The younger Rice, 21, is entering the 2024 NFL draft after a 39-game college career that began at Colorado and ended at USC with 103 receptions for 1,674 yards and 20 touchdowns.

His name recognition has generated some interest in him by both the media and NFL teams, one of them being the Giants.

“Yes, I have met with the Giants,” Rice told the media in Indianapolis this week.

“The Giants would be lit to go to. I would love it. Just the opportunity to go to New York. I feel as though the team and organization is very sound and they could go ahead and build something in the coming future.”

Rice, who is long and lean like his famous father at 6-foot-2, ran a 4.51 40-yard dash at the combine this week and his workout drew some criticism from his dad.

From ABC4.com:

After running the 40, Rice ran routes and showed off his hands with a tough shoestring catch on the sideline. While his dad was impressed, he was quick to critique his son on the play.

“He’s gotta drag that back foot,” Rice said, alluding to the fact that his son didn’t get both his feet down. The comment drew laughs from the NFL Network crew that featured Michael Irvin, Kurt Warner and Steve Smith.

Jerry appears to be all-in on his son’s journey into professional football. How ironic would it be for the younger Rice to end up in Blue with the Giants, who were a chief rival for Jerry’s great 49ers teams of the 1980s?

Asked what the best piece of advice his father gave was, Brendan was frank.

“He always said, ‘You’ve got a last name, so you got a target on your back.’

“‘Make sure you stay in the moment and don’t make the moment too big. Don’t overthink and you’ll be just fine.'”

He’ll certainly get his chance and is sizing up as an early Day 3 (and possibly late Day 2) selection in the 2024 NFL draft.

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Jerry Rice provided very specific commentary for his son Brenden during a 2024 NFL combine drill

Jerry Rice providing commentary for his son Brenden’s NFL combine drill is a must-watch.

NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice is maybe the best to ever play at his position.

However, on Saturday, he was just a proud dad ready to watch and critique his son, former USC wide receiver Brenden Rice, as the latter tested in the 2024 NFL combine.

As Brenden Rice participated in Saturday’s wide receiver drills for eligible combine prospects, his dad Jerry Rice had an in-the-moment coaching note for his son while both were appearing on NFL Network.

It’s really not every day where you get to hear an all-time NFL talent provide commentary for his son’s combine drills, but the Rice family made sure to work that in to their experience at Lucas Oil Stadium.

No matter where Brenden Rice goes in the draft this April, he’ll already have one of his biggest fans cheering him on in his dad.

Even though Jerry Rice had some ideas on what his son could work on, we have no doubt he’ll be the first person available to help Brenden Rice reach his potential.

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