Wide Receiver – SMU
6’1” 204 lbs
2nd Round – 24th Pick (55th Overall) – Kansas City Chiefs
Rashee Rice was already seen as a valuable commodity coming into the 2023 NFL Draft. He has good size and speed for a wide receiver. Additionally, his contested-catch ability is second to none among the other rookie wide receivers in this class.
The biggest knock on Rice was coming out of the American conference. Typically, this doesn’t usually provide the same competition as the power conferences like the SEC or the Big 10. However, what erases that cynical take is his being drafted by the Chiefs. Not to mention, a whole round earlier than many people predicted. That’s usually a sign of a special player joining the NFL ranks.
Fantasy Football Outlook
Likely to see more work from the slot, initially, Rice has the ability to position himself for some very positive plays along the sideline. When watching his film, you’ll see lots of over-the-shoulder catches and split-second redirection to make a difficult catch look easy.
His speed is a huge asset as he uses it well in space. If he gets into the open field, he can make anything happen. Overall, he’s not blazing fast, but he knows how to earn extra yards after most catches.
Being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs definitely doesn’t hurt his stock. There will be no shortage of opportunities for him as the Chiefs led the NFL in passing yards with 5250 in 2022. With Mecole Hardman and JuJu Smith-Schuster finding residency elsewhere, there are 169 vacated targets for Rice to take a chunk of this coming season.
The main competition for Rice will be from Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the speedy slot threat. While not as fast as MVS, Rice will have to work on his hands to get himself ahead on the depth chart. Fortunately, that is where the veteran doesn’t shine as brightly.
With a good showing in training camp and preseason play, Rice could earn himself solid work from the get-go. More likely, we’ll see him sprinkled into the offense a little more each week as the 2023 campaign goes on.
Dynasty Outlook
In terms of dynasty rookie drafts, Rice gets a nudge up the rankings mainly due to his earlier selection in the NFL Draft. He’ll be a second-round selection across the board.
In start-ups, he won’t fall out of the top 40 wide receivers taken. Personally, I’d jump at the chance to take him as early as 30th at the position.
In a class of wide receivers that have not been touted as highly as recent classes, draft capital and landing spots are even more crucial than usual. All in all, Rice is in a wonderful spot to showcase his talents for many seasons with Patrick Mahomes hurling the ball at him.
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