22-year-old Brenden Rice followed his father Jerry Rice’s footsteps as he made it to the NFL, thanks to the Los Angeles Chargers. In a big move, Jim Harbaugh and co. selected Brenden as their 225th overall pick in the seventh round, to add more depth to the receiver room. Surprisingly, the journey wasn’t smooth for Jerry Rice’s son. Earlier, the talented Wide Receiver had to endure some nervous moments before his selection, and he survived them with class and composure.
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Surprisingly, the NFL teams did not pick him in the first two days. In comparison, his former teammate Caleb Williams got the number.1 pick on day one. Brushing aside the disappointment, a determined Brenden endured a long wait amid fears of going undrafted. After hours of patience, the young talent got drafted late on day three. And reacting to his new role, Brenden revealed, “all he needed was a shot,” in his recent post on X (formerly known as Twitter).
With the No. 225 overall pick in the 2024 @NFLDraft, the @chargers select Brenden Rice!
: #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/2ldN142MMT— NFL (@NFL) April 27, 2024
Notably, the USC Wide Receiver had a standout season in college football. Considering his success there, it can be ascertained that Jim Harbaugh noted him during his time in Michigan. It later played a big role in his selection. In his senior season with the Trojans, Brenden impressed many experts as he grabbed 45 catches for 791 yards, a decent number for a college star. The young talent also scored 12 touchdowns in 2023, proving his worth as a rising force, beyond his father’s NFL credentials.
Why Did The Chargers Pick Brenden Rice?
In hindsight, the selection of Brenden Rice is a futuristic move to help the Chargers bolster their wide receiver lineup, comprising talents like Joshua Palmer, Quentin Johnston, Derius Davis, and others. This is because a spread-out WR unit gives more luxury to Chargers QB Justin Herbert, to devise the plays needed for the season. With extra focus on Justin Herbert, Jim Harbaugh has developed a plan where the team has six wide receivers, comprising a mix of youth and experience.
Besides Rice, the Chargers had also selected Ladd McConkey (34th overall) on the second day. These two moves are co-related, as they help the Chargers compensate for losing two wideouts, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Replacing experience with young talent is risky, but the Chargers bench strength allows Harbaugh to experiment with his plans, thus making sense. Apart from the above two reasons, the Chargers think tank had Brenden on their priority list and Jim Harbaugh’s relationship with Jerry Rice helped the team double down on Brenden.
Meanwhile, analysts and experts started comparing the legendary dad and his son to decode their game. FOX Sports NFL Draft analyst Rob Rang shared his two cents as he noticed Brenden’s “route-running and secure hands” to remark they appear similar to his legendary father, Jerry Rice. A three-time Super Bowl winner, Jerry Rice played for 20 seasons in the NFL. Years later, young Brendon has a historic opportunity to emulate his father. He can learn from masters such as Jim Harbaugh to brush aside his 7th-round pick disappointment and prove a point in the NFL.
