An Early NFL Draft Scouting Report : SMU WR Rashee Rice

SMU’s Rashee Rice has dominated College Football through Week 8

There are many household names at the receiver position throughout the nation. Names such as Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jordan Addison have been obvious targets for NFL teams, but SMU Receiver Rashee Rice has stood out amongst all American Conference Receivers. In 5 games, he has 4 games over 100 yards and 4 touchdowns. As one of the top receivers in the conference, he will follow in a good line of former SMU receivers such as Courtland Sutton, James Proche, and Danny Gray. With 5 games left in 2022, Rice has the chance to solidify his draft position and become a top guy in the entire nation. 

Below is Rashee Rice’s full Scouting card with a year-by-year breakdown:

Player Information:

Name: Rashee Rice

School: Southern Methodist

Position: WR Z,X

Jersey #: 11

Alignment/Scheme: Spread - z, x

Games Watched: vs Maryland, vs North Texas, vs SMU, vs Lamar 

Major Factors: # Notes:

(Grading Scale:       9 - Special  8 - All-Pro  7.5 - Pro Bowler  7 - Good Starter  6.5 - Avg. Starter  6 - Good Backup  5.5 - Role Player  5 - Developmental)

Personal/Behavior: 8 No off-field issues reported 

Athletic Ability: 6 Explosive athlete, not exceptionally fast, twitchy, and great body control. Former basketball player in HS (PG). He also ran track. Clocked 11.7 in the 100 as a Junior. 

Strength & Explosion: 6 Good strength for a receiver. Can fight through hands. Acrobatic

Competes: 7 Very good at ball tracking. Will fight through traffic to grab the ball. Needs space to jump for balls. 

Production: 7 He has been a staple in the SMU offense for years. 2nd in yards and tied for first in TD (9) on the team in 2021

Mental/Learning: 8 A senior leader who has improved year to year.

Injury History: N/A

Player Summary:

Report: 6-1 189lbs / Rice has a very typical receiver build. He has good length and a slim frame with good strength for the position. 

In 4 years at SMU, he has improved his numbers year to year. 2019/His freshman year, he played in 8  games with 25 receptions, 400 yards, and a single score. His best performance came against Memphis where he caught 7 balls for 122 yards and a long of 61 yards.  2020/ Rice improved his numbers, catching 48 passes for 650 yards and 5 scores. His single game best was against Tulane where he caught 7 passes for 139 yards. He also scored twice against Navy the same year. 2021/ Rice continued to solidify his spot as one of the top receivers in the American conference. Despite not really improving his yardage, Rice proved to be a big play machine for the SMU football team. He was a first down  machine, averaging over 10 yards per reception. This year he did not have any games over 100 yards, but improved his touchdown total to 9 and bringing in 64 receptions. He had a 61 yard reception against North Texas and a 2 score game against LA Tech.  2022/ (10/13): In his senior season, Rice has shown why he has consistently improved each season. In 5 games of 2022, Rice has 5 games over 100 yards receiving. In his most dominant performance thus far, Rice went for 193 yards and 11 receptions against Maryland. In the season opener against North Texas, Rice went for 166 yards on 8 receptions and a score. He currently has 48 receptions, 687 yards ( career high), and 4 scores. At this current pace, Rice looks to surpass all of his career totals. 

His playmaking ability is very high. He is able to track the ball at the highest point and fight through defenders to make difficult catches. His jumping ability seems average, but his strength through contact allows him to compete effectively. He is not a blazer, but he is able to create decent separation with the use of his hands and has an elevated ability to find the holes in zone coverage. Can play all 3 receiver positions, but he has not shown much work in the slot. Sure handed and acrobatic

With the ball in his hand, Rice is a dynamic ball carrier, but he is not very quick. He is a straight ahead runner and sometimes lacks awareness of his surroundings. Does not display his blocking ability since he is in a predominantly spread offense. 

SMU has a good reputation of putting out quality NFL receivers over the last 5 years. 

Pro Comparison: Diontae Johnson, Steelers

Round/Grade: Round 3

-By: LeMarkus Bailey

ITH Writer/COO