Rashee Rice makes for an intriguing Day 2 draft option for KC Chiefs

Why Rashee Rice could fall to the second round

Top-notch speed isn’t there. Rashee Rice is quick and deceptively elusive, he is not, however, a burner. For many players that are built like Rice, having tremendous speed is part of the reason that they are good. This time, that isn’t the case. At the NFL combine in February, Rice ran a 4.51. For a receiver at the NFL level, this is about average. Without that top-notch speed, he will seemingly need to fit a possession-type role, one that is not as popular in today’s NFL as it once was.

Drops are part of his game. It is no secret when you watch the SMU offense, Rashee Rice is explosive one moment and then dropping passes the next. That, however, is something that a number of young prospects struggle with. In order to go in the first round of the NFL draft, you might want to have a more refined ability to catch the ball consistently. This is a problem that may follow him into his professional career.

Adjustment to NFL might be a struggle due to a limited route tree. 

As aforementioned, the SMU Mustangs were not afraid to use Rice in the same way over and over again. While this means that Rice was a dominant college player that didn’t have to change his play style or assignment to succeed, it also means that he is stuck with a limited array of routes that he can use in his arsenal. In the NFL, no matter where he goes, he will be asked to do a lot more.

While he may be a quick learner, the muscle memory and learning curve for this adjustment may take some serious time. That uncertainty is one of the biggest reasons he is projected to be a second-round pick.