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There is still a good chance they bring in a vet WR as well. There are better WRs out there than Simi Fehoko. If Cornelius Johnson doesnโt get drafted, Iโm sure they will at least try to bring him in as an UDFA. Iโm sure heโd like to go to the Chargers as well.Originally posted by powderblueboy View Post
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Still, not a single wasted pick. No reaches. (Is there such a thing as a 'reach' in the 5th round, or later? I'm saying no.)Originally posted by Fouts2herbert View PostComment
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I guess Fehoko must be pretty bummed with this pick.Comment
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Getting Rice in the 7th was like trading a 7th round pick to someone for a 4th straight up. This is freaking awesome!!!!Comment
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RG III says he's the equivalent of getting Pacheco in the 7th.
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yes, max dugganOriginally posted by Ghost of Quacksaw View Post"The author assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of this post. The information contained in this post is provided on an "as is" basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness..."โโComment
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Well .....If you run a 4.25 at 6'5 225.and can shake anyone and catch everything, then as long as you got away with rape or murder, you will be drafted in top 75 or better by some team.Originally posted by Ghost of Quacksaw View Post
Who has it better than us?Comment
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Media saying Brendan Rice is this years Puka Nacuaโฆ
Charles Davis of The 33rd Team compared a receiver in this year's class to Nacua given their similar frames. That player is USC's Brenden Rice. Rice and Nacua ran similar 40-times with Rice running slightly faster at 4.5 compared to 4.57. They also tested similar in the broad jump and both are a similar size.Comment
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My type of receiver...not too small...not too big.Originally posted by Ghost of Quacksaw View Post
Damn that Caleb looks good
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Even they donโt know why he fell to the 7th.
The Los Angeles Chargers selected USC wide receiver Brenden Rice with the No. 225 pick in Saturdayโs seventh round of the NFL Draft.
The son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, the NFLโs all-time receiving and touchdowns leader, Brenden Rice began his college career at Colorado before emerging over the past two seasons at USC. He was a second-team All-Pac 12 receiver in 2023, catching 45 passes for 791 yards and a team-best 12 touchdowns while playing with quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick of the Chicago Bears.
The Beastโ breakdown
Rice ranked No. 103 in Dane Bruglerโs Top 300 big board. Hereโs what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
โUnderstandably, itโs hard living up to the expectations of being Jerry Riceโs son (especially for a young receiver), but he became more and more comfortable in his own skin over the years โ and his Hall-of-Fame bloodlines are an obvious plus. He was a frequent visitor to the end zone in 2023 (caught a touchdown every 3.75 catches), and his budding route athleticism made him a weapon on tape (80.0 percent of his catches resulted in a first down or touchdown).
โThough he is efficient in/out of breaks, his separation skills are average at best, and he struggled to consistently win crowded catch points. Overall, Rice must continue working on the finer points to beat press coverage and get open versus NFL corners, but he has the size/speed athleticism and hand-eye coordination to become a better pro than he was a college player. He projects as a backup X/Z receiver with down-the-road starting potential.โ
Why heโs a seventh-round pick
His name certainly helps his profile, but Rice emerged as a legitimate NFL prospect following his transfer from Colorado. He caught 84 passes for 1,402 yards and 16 touchdowns over his two seasons with the Trojans, while trimming his number of drops from five in 2022 to two in 2023.
He particularly became a reliable weapon on off-schedule plays for Williams, showcasing his ability to get in sync with a quarterback.
How he fits
The Chargers entered the draft with only four rostered receivers. They added Ladd McConkey to the group in the second round, but they still needed numbers, depth and competition heading into Day 3. Rice provides that. So does Cornelius Johnson, who the Chargers drafted out of Michigan with pick No. 253 in the seventh round.
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh and Jerry Rice, Brendenโs Hall of Fame father, crossed paths with the Raiders in 2002-03. Harbaugh was the quarterbacks coach in Oakland for those two seasons on Bill Callahanโs coaching staff. Jerry was finishing out his playing career. In 2002, Jerry caught 92 passes for 1,211 yards and seven touchdowns, earning All-Pro honors at 40 years old. The Raiders made the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Rookie impact
At a minimum, Brenden Rice will have a good chance to make the 53-man roster. He could push for starter-level playing time in 2024. With his frame and athletic profile, Rice projects as an outside receiver. His primary competition will be 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston, who struggled as a rookie, both with drops and route-running. Johnston is an outside receiver. So is Rice. So is Johnson. Those three are in line to battle for that outside spot in 11 personnel in training camp.
Depth-chart impact
Joshua Palmer is the Chargersโ No. 1 receiver. McConkey projects as the No. 2. Palmer and McConkey can play inside and outside. Because of that flexibility, both players likely will rotate into the slot on different plays depending on situation, matchups and concept. That leaves the spot open outside, either at X or Z. The Chargers are now up to seven receivers with the addition of Rice and Johnson. Derius Davis and Simi Fehoko round out the receiver group. Davis is the Chargersโ primary returner. He was an All-Pro punt returner as rookie. Fehoko is a valuable depth/practice squad piece because of his special teams flexibility as a coverage player. The Chargers could still look to free agency to add more competition at receiver.
They also could have picked โฆ
The Chargers need some safety depth, so they could have gone that route in the seventh round. Ohio Stateโs Josh Proctor and Marylandโs Beau Brade and Texas Techโs Tyler Owens were on the board. They need both a long-term plan and depth at center, and Floridaโs Kingley Eguakun was available. Competition for the fourth edge rusher spot behind Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu could also have been a consideration. UCLAโs Gabriel Murphy was Bruglerโs top remaining player. Investing in receiver depth, however, was a sound approach.
Fast evaluation
As Brugler eloquently put in The Beast, Rice has โelite football bloodlines.โ Taking a flier on that in the seventh round makes sense. Rice was a touchdown machine in his final season at USC, finding the end zone on one of every 3.75 catches. Size, speed, production โ there is a lot to like with this pick. The Chargers were not going to find much better depth receiver options this late in the draft.Comment
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