LOS ANGELES — The NFL draft party was last night, in his home in Arizona, hours before one of the most important and most undoubtedly difficult days of Brenden Rice’s life.
On Saturday morning, as NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported, the USC receiver boarded a flight to Dallas – with his NFL future still hanging in the balance – for the funeral of friend and former Coloraod teammate Keith Miller III. And on Saturday afternoon, with the draft persisting into the seventh round and still no call buzzing his phone, Rice posted an Instagram story of himself standing over Miller III’s grave and a message on Twitter.
“Long Live Keith Issac Miller III,” Rice wrote. “This run I’m about to make is for you brother.”
Just a half hour later, Rice’s name was finally called by the Chargers, the son of NFL legend Jerry Rice set to stay local after a stunning slide into the final round of the draft. He’d broken out in his final year at USC, the 6-foot-3 wideout catching 12 touchdowns and establishing himself as Caleb Williams’ best red-zone and jump-ball target.
While his 4.50-second time in the 40-yard-dash didn’t stun, Rice still had a strong showing catching passes from Williams at USC’s Pro Day in March.
“I’m a speed guy, even though my 40 says something different,” Rice said then.
And just before Pro Day, Rice had said, he’d held a visit with the Chargers, saying he felt he could be “great inside that type of system.” He’ll have a prime chance to prove it now, with a chip on his shoulder that’s already weighed heavy throughout his life with his namesake. Los Angeles’ wide receivers room is razor-thin after they parted ways with Mike Williams and traded Keenan Allen to the Bears.
“All I needed was a shot,” Rice tweeted after he was drafted.
Fellow USC wide receiver Tahj Washington, who’d become as big a fan favorite as any across three seasons of continuous improvement as a Trojan, landed in a similarly cushy situation after a slight slide himself: taken by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round. He’ll face quite a bit more competition in the WR room, but his skill set – improving as a deep threat in 2023 and as a sure-handed safety valve – is a perfect fit with Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel’s scheme, one of the best passing offenses in the NFL last season.
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Two more selections capped off a robust draft haul for USC, as offensive lineman Jarrett Kingston was taken in the sixth round by the San Francisco 49ers and defensive end Solomon Byrd nabbed by the Houston Texans in the seventh round.
It’s a slightly surprising pick for Kingston, who was decent in pass protection in 2023 but part of an often-underwhelming USC lin. He turned heads with his athleticism at the NFL Combine, however, running a 5.02-second 40-yard dash and recording 32 reps on the bench press.
Byrd, meanwhile, will join teammate and third-round draftee Calen Bullock in Houston after a six-sack season in 2023.