NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center:Brenden Rice, son of Jerry Rice, picked by Chargers in seventh round of NFL draft

A Hall of Fame bloodline is NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Centerentering the NFL. 

The Los Angeles Chargers selected Brenden Rice in the seventh round (225th overall) in the 2024 NFL draft. Rice is the son of one of the game’s all-time greats in Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, who is the league’s leader in career receiving yards (22,895), catches (1,549) and receiving touchdowns (197). 

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Saturday that Brenden Rice had flown to Dallas to attend the funeral of his best friend, Keith Miller III, when the pick was made.

Brenden Rice started his college career at Colorado in 2020 and was named the Buffaloes’ freshman of the year in a COVID 19-shortened season that lasted six games. In 2021, he had 21 receptions for 299 yards with three touchdowns. Rice returned kicks that season, too.

Rice transferred to Southern California ahead of the 2022 season. With No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams throwing to him, Rice hauled in 39 passes for 611 yards with four touchdowns. He followed that up with a productive redshirt junior campaign; he was named second-team All-Pac-12 and led the team with 12 receiving touchdowns (45 catches, 791 receiving yards).

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Rice stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 208 pounds. He was a three-star recruit from Arizona before college. He averaged a touchdown every 5.2 catches over his college career. 

Jerry Rice led the NFL in receiving yards six times during his 20-year career, most of which he spent with the San Francisco 49ers. He was a four-time Super Bowl champ with San Francisco, where he won Offensive Player of the Year twice. 

Brenden Rice was tabbed as a mid-to-late round pick but was not expected to last until the seventh round. The Chargers also drafted wideout Ladd McConkey in the second round Friday. He won't have to relocate far from where he finished his college career by landing with the Chargers.