Wide Receiver Series – Short Brief #7: Rashee Rice (What Young WR Nose Do You Place Your Bet?)

David Bell

Rice is the current rookie WR who is making his way to Training Camp. All signs at this point are a “Go.” During the OTAs, WR Coach Connor Embree had an upbeat view of the WR Corps. He said, “The whole group is doing great–I like all 12 of them. They’ve all been in and working. I have zero complaints.” This comment was directed to the press about the crew, not just Rice but of course, Rice was a major participant. Matt McMullen specifically stated that Rice had a very strong 2nd week of OTAs, observing in an article, “…Rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice made an impressive touchdown grab in the back of the end zone during offensive install reps. The second-round pick high-pointed the ball, hauled in the catch, and kept both feet in bounds for the would-be score. It was part of what was a strong week for Rice.”

It was also said about Rice that he made no major mistakes during the OTAs. That view of Rice bodes well for the upcoming Training Camp. Bruce Matson shows Rice Clips in a youtube session. They play repetitively, but if you hold out and watch the first set, you can see that Rice is very comfortable, even fielding punts. The video’s title is: Rashee Rice: Smooth Route Running At the Chief’s Rookie Camp. It’s far too early to worry much about what the newbies accomplish in OTAs, but he looks like he is at home. See the video here (2:30):

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I can’t wait to see Rice in action once the pads go on!

An NFL Summary shows:

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“Rice stayed in-state to play for the Mustangs in 2019 after starring at Richland High School. He started twice in 10 appearances as a true freshman (25-403-16.1, one TD) and seven of 10 games in 2020 to lead SMU in receiving (48-683-14.2, five TDs). Rice was an honorable mention All-American Athletic Conference pick as a junior, again topping his squad with 64 receptions (670 yards, 10.5 per) and tying for the team lead with nine receiving scores in 12 starts. He earned second-team Associated Press All-American and first-team All-American Athletic Conference accolades in 2022 by ranking fifth in the FBS with 96 receptions and third with 1,355 receiving yards (14.1 per). Also, he led the Mustangs with 10 receiving scores in 12 starts. — by Chad Reuter”

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Veach selected Rice in Round Two when he was valued as a Round 3 prospect. The Scouts must have seen something (See my later remarks), or the draft unfolded for KC differently than anticipated. Watching Scott Fisher’s video collection will whet your appetite. I’d bet big money on what the Scouts saw. What Fisher presents is probably what the scouts saw when seeing Rice play in college. He titled the video: Why Rashee Rice could save the Kansas City Chiefs (His Insane Rise). See it here (9:43):

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I realize the nature of how difficult it is for a WR to break into the NFL and do well, let alone get targets as a rookie learning with a top QB, head coach, and the Andy Reid playbook. Rice faces that daunting task. At this point, I think the cream rises to the top, and Rice will illustrate that very thing. However, I see the promise that Fisher highlights in the video above. I do think he has a future as a WR of note with Kansas City. I don’t think Rice is another “wait-and-see player” for 2023. My frame of reference, though, is his “Insane Rise,” which was visible from his 2022 stats:

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• 96 Receptions
• 1,355 yards receiving
• 10 TDs
• ++++ Kick and Punt Return skills

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The 2022 numbers change the storyline from what all the NFL analysts apparently observed. I’d guess the reason for that is that his combine 40 time was a pedestrian 4.51. Brett Veach and Co. chose Rice because he would not have been available in Round 3, so the Round 2 selection makes a ton of sense, especially when you examine his production. It is indeed an insane rise in stats, and for Brett Veach & KC, those numbers are what brought him to the Kingdom. The Chiefs Scouts were on top of it with Rice. Highlight video, here(4:47):

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Now you think about it: Upon which young nose among the WRs in the Chief’s stable will you place a bet? This is a tough job for Andy Reid, Matt Nagy, and Connor Embry and another reason that the Chiefs do not have to sign a top Free Agent WR.

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David Bell — ArrowheadOne

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