The 2024 NFL Draft is getting close, making it an excellent time to highlight some of the class' best players with scouting reports. Each report will include strengths, weaknesses and background information.
Here's our report on Brenden Rice.
Brenden Rice'S 2024 NFL COMBINE RESULTS
- Height: 6'2"
- Weight: 208 lbs
- 40-Time: 4.50
- 10-Yard Split: 1.55
- Vertical: 36.5"
- Broad Jump: 9'11"
- 3-Cone: DNP (Did Not Participate)
- Shuttle: DNP
Brenden Rice 2024 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT
STRENGTHS:
- Good-sized wide receiver with significant snaps at boundary X in USC's offense. He primarily lined up outside.
- Not a true vertical dimension, but showed some build-up speed as he got into his stride and gained distance.
- Consistently came back to the ball on intermediate routes. Presented flat and friendly to the QB. Clean target.
- Showed a refined understanding of the pace and tempo of specific routes. Flashed short-area burst out of breaks.
- Caught the ball easily with his hands. Rarely let the ball get into his body. Transitioned easily to run after the catch.
- Showed more burst on in-breaking routes than on vertical routes. A feel for the pace and timing of in-breakers.
- Flashes where he showed physicality to highpoint the ball and make contested catches using his size.
WEAKNESSES:
- Too upright off the ball into the vertical stem. At times, looked like he was laboring even when he had free access.
- Looked like he exerted a lot of effort getting off the LOS into his route stem.
- More of a measured methodical mover than a sudden or explosive mover. Not a naturally twitchy athlete.
- Did not show acceleration speed off the ball, which led to him being a vertical dimension. Not explosive vertically.
NFL TRANSITION:
Rice clearly has traits that will transition effectively to the next level, but his 2023 tape strongly suggests the kind of receiver who will be team and scheme-specific. Rice has excellent size and physical and competitive toughness to his play, but he is not a sudden or explosive athlete, which consistently showed up on tape.
He was featured significantly in USC’s offense in 2023 as the boundary X, which demands that you separate and win vs. man coverage as a foundation of the position. Still, there will be legitimate questions as to whether Rice can do that at the next level vs. quality corners.
His tape showed clear improvement as the 2023 season progressed, with his short-area quickness and burst allowing him to get in and out of breaks with more juice. That is a critical trait if he is to transition successfully to the NFL.
The more I watched Rice, the more I thought of Van Jefferson coming out of Florida. Both had a more refined sense of route running with an understanding of how to attack and set up corners. Rice has excellent size with strong hands and a physical component to his game, but he lacks any real explosiveness.
That trait profile will find a place in the league, but he will be a complementary piece in a passing game more than a foundation.
OTHER NOTES:
Rice played two years at USC after spending his first two college seasons at Colorado. He finished his career with a strong 2023 season: 45-791-17.6-12 TD. He came out of Arizona as a four-star recruit.
In 2023, Rice predominantly lined up on the outside in USC’s offense, including significant snaps at boundary X on the back side of trips. My sense is Rice will not be seen as a boundary X prospect at the next level.
The tape showed Rice improved as the 2023 season progressed, especially in an area that must be foundational to his game: Short-area quickness in and out of breaks. That trait must be the foundation upon which his game is built if he is to have a successful NFL career.
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