In a surprising turn of events at the 2024 NFL draft, Brenden Rice, son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, was selected in the seventh round by the Los Angeles Chargers. This late selection sparked a wave of discontent from his father, who believed his son deserved a higher position.
Brenden Rice, a wide receiver from USC, was projected to be a midround pick in many mock drafts. However, he ended up being the 32nd receiver chosen out of the 35 drafted, a position that both disappointed him and infuriated his father. "My dad was hot," Brenden Rice, 22, admitted. "You guys get the flash like ... the humble dude, right? Me, he's like, 'Hell no, we're going to take this to a different level. These guys going to feel us.'"
The day of the draft was an emotional rollercoaster for the young Rice, who attended his best friend's funeral on the same day. He received the call from the Chargers while in a Dallas airport heading home to Los Angeles. "It was just like a blessing from God because he allowed me to go ahead and just mourn the death of my friend," Rice said, "and then after that just go ahead and be happy, and it was a glorious day."
Despite the initial disappointment, Rice's frustration was short-lived. The Chargers lost their top two receivers in the offseason, trading away Keenan Allen and releasing Mike Williams, leaving them with just one receiver who has had a 1,000-yard season -- DJ Chark Jr. This, coupled with having quarterback Justin Herbert, makes for a favorable spot for a rookie receiver.
"I'm in the best position possible to go ahead and make my mark on and make my own legacy," Rice said. "I went from Caleb Williams to Justin Herbert, and I'm in a room that's going to allow me to compete day in and day out."
At 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds, Rice offers the Chargers a physical deep-ball target. He led USC with a 14.6 air yards per target in 2023, and seven of his 12 touchdown receptions were on vertical routes, tied for the sixth most in the FBS. These strengths differentiate him from his father, who was known more for his smooth route running than his physicality.
As for who the better player was at this point in their careers, Rice said that's still up for debate. "I feel as though we're neck and neck. I'm faster, and I heard his rookie season in the NFL wasn't good," Rice said of his father, who had 49 receptions for 927 yards and three touchdowns in 16 games as a rookie. "I gotta go top him."
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