Chargers grab Brenden Rice, son of Jerry Rice, in seventh round of draft

Brenden Rice, son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, is set to carve his own path as an NFL wide receiver — and he’ll do so with star quarterback Justin Herbert throwing him the ball.

The Los Angeles Chargers drafted Rice out of USC in the seventh round with the 225th overall pick on Saturday. Rice became one of No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams‘ primary targets after the two transferred to USC after the 2021 season, Williams from Oklahoma and Rice from Colorado. In 2023, Rice had 45 receptions, 791 receiving yards and 12 touchdown catches from Williams.

FOX Sports NFL Draft analyst Rob Rang says Rice shows flashes of his legendary father, ranking the younger Rice at No. 53 on his list of top NFL Draft prospects. Rang especially praised Brenden Rice’s “blend of savvy route-running and strong, secure hands” that he characterized as similar to Jerry’s.

Rice was the second receiver picked by the Chargers in this draft, following Georgia‘s Ladd McConkey in the second round (34th overall). The Chargers lost wideouts Keenan Allen and Mike Williams over the offseason.

[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]