Jerry Rice should be happy instead of 'hot' over Brenden Rice's 2024 NFL Draft slide

There are always some unexpected falls in the NFL draft. One of the biggest names who fell to the end of the 2024 class was USC wide receiver Brenden Rice. The son of former San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice, landing at the 225th pick with the Los Angeles Chargers, 

Expected by most to hear his name by the end of the fourth round, it was surprising to see Rice last until Jim Harbaugh added the third receiver of the class to the roster. According to the 6-foot-3 rookie, Jerry was "hot" about his fall, immediately looking as the drop as an opportunity for motivation.

"My dad was hot. You guys get the flash like ... the humble dude, right? Me, he's like, 'Hell no, we're going to take this to a different level. These guys going to feel us.'"

"It was just like a blessing from God because he allowed me to go ahead and just mourn the death of my friend," Rice said, "and then after that just go ahead and be happy, and it was a glorious day."

He added, "I'm in the best position possible to go ahead and make my mark on and make my own legacy. I went from Caleb Williams to Justin Herbert, and I'm in a room that's going to allow me to compete day in and day out.

It's understandable why Jerry Rice would look to add a chip to his son's shoulder. But the elder Rice must reflect on why his son fell in the draft. I graded Rice as a late-round, borderline draftable prospect.

Despite his impressive frame and deep straight-line speed, the rest of his game is inconsistent and sometimes maddening. He caught 12 touchdowns in 2023 but only 45 receptions. He had only two games with more than five receptions despite playing with No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.

His combine performance was average, and his limitations as a route-runner and fighting through physicality are consistently on film. While Jerry Rice is likely happy for his son, part of the reason Brenden was overvalued by analysts was his lineage. Brenden Rice has always been more intriguing than someone who reliably performed.

The Chargers situation is a decent one for Rice to land. Veterans Joshua Palmer and DJ Chark will fight for their rotational roles, and Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey will be counted on to take the opportunity and run with it. That leaves Rice, fellow seventh-round pick Cornelius Johnson, and 2023 fourth-round pick Derius Davis to battle for two roster spots.

That means special teams may factor into who makes the 53-man cut. Rice was once electric as a kick returner but has limited experience overall. Davis has the best profile to make an impact as a gunner, but Johnson played for Harbaugh at Michigan.

None of this is to say Rice won't put all of his good but not elite tools together in the NFL. But it's not like he was a taller version of his father at Colorado and USC. His drops and route-running must improve for his dad to be proven right that he was a major snub.