Rookie Profile: Brenden Rice, Wide Receiver, Los Angeles Chargers
Welcome to the Rookie Profile for Brenden Rice, a Wide Receiver from USC. He is from Chandler, Arizona, and was a 3-star recruit out of Hamilton High School.
In 2020, as a freshman, he appeared in 6 games with Colorado. He recorded 6 receptions for 120 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns in limited action.
His 2021 season as a sophomore saw him appear in 11 games. He recorded 21 receptions, 299 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns.
He transferred to USC for his 2022 junior season where he had his best season to date piling up 39 receptions for 611 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. His senior season in 2023 was similar to production where he recorded 45 receptions and 791 receiving yards, but saw his touchdown total skyrocket to 12.
Measurables
Draft Capital & Landing Spot
Draft Capital- Round 7 Pick 5
- Brenden Rice was a seventh-round pick after a massive slide, much to the dismay of his Hall of Fame after Jerry Rice. It’s not a surprise that he fell to day three, it is a bit of a surprise that he lasted until round seven.
- The lack of draft capital certainly puts him in the realm of dart-throw receivers. While there have been longer odds overcome by day three receivers, you don’t often see a receiver from a big-name school slip to day three and still succeed at the NFL level. This draft capital has Rice almost entirely off my draft board.
Landing Spot- Los Angeles Chargers
- For as bad as the draft capital is, the landing spot seems to offset it. This Chargers offense is devoid of any real talent. It’s impossible to understate how bad the weapons are for Justin Herbert. Rice’s target competition at USC could be greater than it is in Los Angeles.
- After plummeting in the draft, a chance to crack an NFL roster from training camp should help to keep the skim hopes in him alive, but for my purposes, he is a no-go. His only real competition on this roster might be fellow rookie Ladd McConkey, and even an oversized slot rookie could be enough to squash any hopes of his value.
Team Depth Chart
Expected Role: Depth X-Receiver
Depth Chart via Fantasy Pros
Fantasy Impact
There are worse darts to throw late in your rookie drafts and ultimately I can’t fault a manager who chances players with a pathway to touches, but this likely isn’t it. No draft capital, paired with mediocre talent does not often hit in any significant manner.
With a depleted offense and his father in his corner, he should get every opportunity to prove himself in camp, but I expect him to be a depth receiver and not much more. He should be a low cost option, but he also doesn’t have much upside.
Check out The Fantasy Football Universe Sneak Peek Video of Brenden Rice.
Check out our 2024 Rookie Rankings Page for a full breakdown of this rookie class.
