Rashee Rice NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for SMU WR

HEIGHT: 6'1"

WEIGHT: 204

HAND: 9 1/2"

ARM: 32 3/4"

WINGSPAN: TBD

40-YARD DASH: 4.51

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: TBD

VERTICAL: 41"

BROAD: 10'8"

POSITIVES

— Alignment flexibility. Can line up anywhere, and SMU often moved him around the formation.

— Very good play strength. Does not get bullied versus press and knows how to muscle his way to advantageous positions at the catch point.

— Excellent hands and catch radius. Rare knack for finding the ball outside his frame and bringing it in safely. True ball-winner.

— Good bully-ball style YAC-earner. Plays with good strength and balance, with just enough speed.

NEGATIVES

— Average or slightly below-average burst and acceleration. Not going to threaten CBs at the line of scrimmage.

— Not a clean, agile route-runner. Wins more with size and strength.

— Average elusiveness in space. More of a ball-carrier who runs past or through defenders than around them.

2022 STATISTICS

— 12 GM, 96 REC, 1,355 YDS (14.1 AVG), 10 TD

NOTES

— DOB: April 22, 2000

— 33 career starts

— 2022 Honors: second-team All-American, first-team All-AAC

OVERALL

Rashee Rice is a ball-winner. Though he isn't quite a giant at 6'2" and 203 pounds, he plays with great strength and fascinating coordination both in his upper and lower body.

Rice is nimble enough to stop on a dime and turn to leap for the ball, but he also has the length, hand-eye coordination and soft hands to bring in any pass, no matter how far he has to reach or contort his body. He's always at an advantage when the ball is in the air.

Rice is effective with the ball in his hands, too. He may not have true home run speed or explosiveness, but he has enough of it for a player his size.

Rice mostly wins with strength and balance as a runner, showing the ability to fight off tacklers and trudge forward for extra yards to move the sticks and occasionally spring himself free for a chunk gain. SMU even found use for Rice on jet motion plays and screens because of his ability with the ball.

The concerns with Rice are all about play speed. He will never get bullied off his route stem at the line of scrimmage, but he doesn't typically burst off the line and torch the cornerback straight away. Rice isn't the cleanest route-runner, either. He isn't clunky or uncoordinated, but he doesn't have the bend and burst to be one of the better separators in the NFL.

Rice is a high-end No. 2 or a low-end No. 1 akin to San Francisco's Brandon Aiyuk. His ability as a ball-winner on the outside would be welcome on any team. For more creative teams, Rice's bully-ball YAC skills and alignment flexibility will make him a nifty weapon to move around the formation.

GRADE: 7.4 (High-level Backup/Potential Starter)

OVERALL RANK: 62

POSITION RANK: WR6

PRO COMPARISON: Brandon Aiyuk

Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen