Late Los Angeles Draft Pick Considered "Absolute Steal"

One of the more baffling storylines from the 2024 NFL draft was the fall of USC wide receiver Brenden Rice. Rice ended up being drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the seventh round, much farther down than what he was projected originally.

The Bolts grabbed him as soon as they saw he was still on the board, giving them a potential steal late in the draft. Many wondered why Rice fell but the Chargers will happily take his services, especially now that he has a chip on his shoulder.

Alex Insdorf of Chargers Wire loved the pick of Rice, calling it an "absolute steal" for the Bolts in the seventh round.

"I’m maybe a little lower on Rice compared to his consensus third or fourth-round draft value, but he is an absolute steal in round seven. He’s a physical blocker that will operate that way in a physical Jim Harbaugh offense. On special teams, it’s easy to see a path to him contributing on Ryan Ficken’s unit."

Rice was one of the better receivers for the Trojans this past season and being the son of NFL legend Jerry Rice, the thought was he could go in the third or fourth round. He was the favorite target of No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams during their time together at USC, making it strange why he fell so far.

"To some extent, Rice fell because I think it’s hard for teams to peg him in a certain role for their offense. A lot of late round receivers have a similar trait: good at a lot of things, but master of none."

If Rice can put up the same type of production he did at USC, Los Angeles will have gotten a true diamond in the rough. The Bolts believe in his abilities to produce and now all he needs to do is show what he can do on the field.

More Chargers: Chargers News: LA Applauded for Controversial Draft Decision