Christian McCaffrey encouraged Commanders GM to draft brother Luke
Relationships mean a lot in the NFL, and that's one of the reasons why the Washington Commanders drafted Rice receiver Luke McCaffrey in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Commanders general manager Adam Peters was the assistant GM for the San Francisco 49ers from 2021-23, and there he became close with 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and his family. Peters calls the McCaffrey family "near and dear" to his heart.
When it came to drafting Christian's brother Luke, Peters actually received intel and a bit of persuasion from Christian to draft the younger McCaffrey.
"I did get a little insight from his brother," Peters said, via the team's website. "I got a little encouragement from his brother. I didn't need it, I can tell you that right now."
Luke started his collegiate career as a quarterback at Nebraska but wound up transferring to Rice and developing into an excellent receiver.
The younger McCaffrey had 131 career receptions for 1,712 yards and 19 receiving touchdowns along with 927 yards rushing and seven touchdowns. He really came into his own last season where his 13 receiving touchdowns ranked sixth in the nation.
"Really taught himself how to be one of the best receivers in the country in the last two years," Peters said. "He's got size, he's got speed, he's got great movement skills, and I think he's only going to ascend."
Luke is 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds but possesses great speed for his stature, running a 4.46 forty at the NFL Combine. McCaffrey was also known for making highlight reel grabs and being fearless hauling in catches in traffic.
"Being able to get open and if he wasn't open, he was making contested catches. He is almost six-foot-two, which is, you're surprised because he moves so well. For a guy that's almost 6-2, he moves like a guy who's maybe 5-10 in terms of his quickness," Peters explained. "He's got incredible shuttle numbers where you're talking about the three-cone and the 20-yard shuttle, and those numbers really show up on the tape. And he's tough, he's got great hands and he's got an incredible mindset too. Seeing him get better and better throughout the process tells us that he's only gonna get better."
Christian made his thoughts about Luke going to the Commanders known on social media.
"Couldn’t be more proud of my brother," Christian said on X. "What a story. Bet on yourself every step of the way. What a story."
What a story, indeed. There will now be two McCaffrey's wreaking havoc in the NFC this season.
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