There is no question that wide receiver Rashee Rice has been a bright spot for Kansas City this season. In fact, who knows where they would be without him. After losing JuJu Smith-Schuster to the Patriots last offseason, the Chiefs receiving room got even thinner. Also, don’t forget, Mecole Hardman left for the Jets in the offseason but has since returned to the Chiefs.
With the 31st pick in the 2023 draft, Brett Veach went defense and selected defensive end Felix Anudike- Uzomah out of Kansas State. Uzomah is believed to have high potential, but some argued the Chiefs could have used that pick on another roster need. The jury is still out on Uzomah, who has yet to play many snaps.
With their second-round pick, Veach filled a significant roster need by drafting wide receiver Rashee Rice out of SMU. As a second-round pick, Kansas City knew they weren’t getting a finished product, but there was a lot to like. At the NFL Combine, Rice displayed impressive athleticism and explosiveness that many believed would translate nicely to the NFL.
Rice’s numbers
Rice has already exceeded any reasonable expectations that we could set for him. Andy Reid’s offense is extremely complex and not necessarily suited for a rookie receiver. Especially a rookie who was drafted more on upside, not to mention he was joining the defending Super Bowl Champs and an all-time quarterback in his prime.
Chiefs WR Rashee Rice (4) – Denny Medley/ USA TODAY Sports
Going into the season, fans expected to see receivers like Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney fill a bigger role in the offense. But to this point, both have been shaky at best. In fact, if you add up the receiving yards of Moore and Toney, they have 408 yards. In comparison, Rice alone has 663 yards. You can even throw in Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s receiving yards with Moore and Toney and you only have 703 total yards.
He not only holds his own in the Kansas City receiving room, but amongst other rookie receivers as well. As I mentioned, he went in the second round at pick number 55. A few of the notable first round receivers include Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seahawks, pick 20), Zay Flowers (Ravens, pick 22), and Jordan Addison (Vikings, pick 23). Rice’s numbers hold up with each of these guys.
Rashee Rice: 59 receptions, 663 yards, 6 TD
Jordan Addison:56 receptions, 713 yards, 7 TD
Jaxon Smith- Njigba: 49 receptions, 493 yards, 2 TD
Zay Flowers: 64 receptions, 673 yards, 3 TD
This helps put into perspective just how impressive he’s been . But what encourages me even more? He still has so much room to improve.
Drop problem
Coming out of SMU, one big concern surrounding Rice’s game were drops. Unfortunately, he hasn’t done much to shake free of this reputation. Going into Sunday’s contest with the Patriots, he has already dropped 8 passes. However, another receiver with 8 drops…fellow rookie Smith-Nijgba.
Chiefs WR Rashee Rice (4) – Nick Wagner/Kansas City Star
Also, if you recall, Bengal’s star receiver Ja’Marr Chase faced a similar narrative coming into the league. Chase would go on to drop 11 passes in each of his first two seasons. However, when you think of Chase, you don’t think about his mistakes. As frustrating as drops are to fans, they happen. For Chiefs fans, the frustration is multiplied, as the whole team struggles with drops.
Rookie receiver gaining Andy Reid’s trust
Something I really liked from the Bills game was how Andy Reid handled Rice’s fumble. To Rice’s credit, fumbles have not been an issue this season, and Sunday was actually his first fumble. Reid knows more than anyone how important Rice is to the Chiefs offense. So, on the first play of their next drive, Reid dialed up a screen pass for Rice that went for 15 yards. This was his way of keeping Rice in the game and showing that he still believes in him.
As Mahomes and Reid have talked about, Rice will only get better with time. His comfort will keep growing and the Chiefs will continue to put more and more on his plate. In a season where the offense has been a headache at times, it’s been fun to watch Rice continue to grow.
