The Washington Commanders selected Rice wide receiver Luke McCaffrey at No. 100 in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
McCaffrey, the brother of Christian and son of Ed, started his college career as a quarterback at the University of Nebraska. He initially left Nebraska for Louisville, but later entered the transfer portal and wound up at Rice.
He switched his position to wide receiver in 2022 and immediately had an impact. He finished his final two seasons at Rice with 129 receptions for 1,715 yards and 19 touchdowns.
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‘The Beast’ breakdown
McCaffrey ranked No. 167 in Dane Brugler’s Top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
“McCaffrey doesn’t always uncover as easily as his testing numbers might suggest, but he is smart and controlled in his route movements with the tough-minded ball skills to be a steady possession target. His ability to carve out a role on special teams could be the key to him earning a roster spot as a rookie.”
Nick Baumgardner grades the pick
A member of the now-famous McCaffrey athletic family (Ed’s son, Christian’s brother), Luke is a big, explosive target with great speed and general movement skills. A former college quarterback, McCaffrey’s first year as a receiver was at Rice in 2022 and came with 58 catches for 723 yards and six touchdowns. A growing prospect and a nice player. However, not the best receiver on the board here in my opinion.
Come back for more analysis on the McCaffrey pick.
(Photo: Tim Heitman / USA Today)
