Brenden Rice is staying home.
The Los Angeles Chargers selected the USC product with the 225th-overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday.
The son of NFL legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, Brenden Rice has lived life with expectations following him like a shadow. He began his collegiate career at Colorado before transferring to USC, where he blossomed, becoming a starter over his final two seasons and earning second-team All-Pac-12 honors as a senior by catching 45 passes for 791 yards and a team-high 12 touchdowns.
Rice received plenty of experience playing with a top-tier talent at quarterback during his time at USC, where he ran routes for No. 1 overall pick and 2024 classmate Caleb Williams. He'll hope his 6-foot-2, 208-pound frame helps him adjust to the pro game quickly.
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein compared Rice to Titans receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who overcame low expectations as an undrafted free agent to carve out a career for himself in Nashville. Even if he isn't the most fleet of foot, Rice has better bloodlines and the size to compete in the NFL in the right situation.
He'll receive that opportunity with the Chargers, who are in the midst of rebuilding their receivers room with the selections of Rice and Georgia's Ladd McConkey.
