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USC wide receiver Brenden Rice among Senior Bowl risers that should be on Titans draft radar

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Sam Phalen | Last updated Jan 30, 2024 8:01 PM ET

MOBILE, AL -- USC Trojans wide receiver Brenden Rice, the son of legendary wide receiver Jerry Rice, was one of the big winners from the first day of practice at the 2024 Senior Bowl.

Rice showed some really impressive play strength during the 1-on-1 period of practice and drew a lot of contact from defenders trying to contain him.

The 6-foot-2, 212 pound wide out could be one of the biggest sleepers in the draft and a viable options for the Tennessee Titans to add to their receiving corps.

It's the sheer physicality of Rice that really sticks out on the practice field. In order to stop him or slow him down, defenders resorted to grabbing his jersey and getting flagged when matched up with Rice in man coverage.

There's a reason he was one of just 10 collegiate wide receivers to score 12+ receiving touchdowns this season. While he's not the most agile or best separator in the draft, being able to finish contested catches will always turn heads.

.@uscfb WR Brenden Rice was a beast playing through contact in the early 1-on-1s. Not much separation, but damn he had some strong catches/finishes. Coaches noticed, too pic.twitter.com/n1yuW4Z1wf
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) January 30, 2024

When asked by media members after practice, Rice compared his play style to that of Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf. That's a comparison that makes a lot of sense to me.

His straight-line speed and physicality are awesome, but can Rice run a complete route tree and get out of his breaks? That's the big question that will need to be answered in the pre-draft process.

Rice is the 90th ranked player on the consensus big board and mocked by most draft analysts in the late third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. With the Titans needing to add to the wide receiving corps, but also looking to address the offensive line and secondary, Rice is a sleeper that Tennessee could take a flyer on later in the draft and may be a good fit in Brian Callahan's offense.

Brenden Rice, you have my attention. I'll be keeping a close eye on him as things continue to unfold down here in Mobile.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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