SMU Receiver Rashee Rice Doesn’t Have Any Dominant Traits

Rashee Rice is a decent looking football player, but he does not have any elite traits that scouts look for in first-round prospects.

This SMU wide receiver (WR) is tough and he gives it everything he has to give, but he has physical limitations.

First-round receivers have to have something special.

They need home-run hitting speed, that coveted burst at route breakpoints or they need to come down with everything thrown in their direction.

Rice doesn’t fit any of these descriptions.

He’s also not showing on game film he can get a whole lot of separation from cornerbacks.

He’s a nice third, fourth or fifth receiver depending on the NFL roster, but he is not a game breaker.

Rice is an a decent looking possession receiver

He excels in mostly short – – to intermediate route ranges.

Rice is inconsistent at creating separation, but he does best on routes that break back hard like curls or comebacks. He is also decent grabbing the short receiver bubble screens and shallow crossing routes.

🚩The biggest problem with Rice is he is not sure-handed, and that is a prerequisite for top-level possession receivers🚩

In 2021, Rice grabbed 64/79 targets (81%), but thus far in 2022, that ratio has fallen off a cliff as he has only managed to catch 62/109 (57%).

Limited YAC

The ability a WR has to pick up additional yardage after the catch is referred to as “YAC” (yards after catch).

Rice showed he was able to take what defenses gave him after receptions, but he was not a playmaker with the ball in his hands.

Yeah, he tried hard and he managed to maintain his balance and pick up a couple extra yards after a Memphis defender missed a tackle on him, and he picked up a couple yards inside the 10 on a screen pass he took into the end zone in another game.

That was the extent of it.

This is not a guy who has the athletic ability or the speed to be a real threat after receptions.

Tough blocker

One of the things I liked most about Rice was he is a physical blocker.

This is one of his best attributes.

He gets after it and he gets into it.

Rice was even called for a personal foul leveling a defensive back.

Rice is shooting up some mock draft boards

Over the past couple of months, Rice has moved into the first-round on a few draft sites.

CBS, Pro Football Network and Draftwire have put that stamp on his abilities.

According to CBS, “Rice is big and electric as a route runner and with the ball in his hands.”

I am not remotely seeing that in this three-game study.

#11 Rashee Rice 6-foot-2, 203 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Grade: Fifth-Round – Early Fall 2022 Report

Projected by 6.5% of the NFL Draft community to be a first-round pick as of November 3, 2022 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2021 game film reviewed: Houston, Tulane and Memphis (click to watch games viewed to form this evaluation)

2021 stats: 64 receptions (79 targets), 670 yards (10.5 avg.), 9 TD, 62-long

Level of competition: Moderate

Note: Has put together back-to-back 60+ catch seasons

2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Tough scrappy receiver with one-gear methodical building above-average football speed and average hands. Works short to intermediate route levels and he is more quick than fast. Best at routes that feature distinct breakpoints to create enough separation. Decent athletic ability. Breaks down a little on hard changes of direction. Can reach up and pluck the ball out of the air, but he has an average catch radius. Decent on the straight-line short stuff. Not a threat to pick up additional yardage after the catch. Drops some he shouldn’t. Tough blocker who is up for the challenge. The type of receiver who will bounce around the league for the first three-four-five years.

What to watch for during the 2022 college football season:

1. What are his final catch/target numbers?
2. Is he dropping some he shouldn’t drop?
3. Does he show home-run hitting ability?
4. Does he pick up YAC?

There was just nothing that excited me watching Rice play.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He currently writes for Sports Illustrated New York Jets and he is the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. He can be followed on Twitter @firstroundmock.