NFL Legend’s Son Named Potential Draft Option for Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been pretty good at drafting wide receivers for several years. Since the late ’90s, they’ve had Pro Bowler after Pro Bowler coming through the franchise.
They have maintained this success in recent years. The Steelers’ current receiver depth chart includes former Pro Bowler Diontae Johnson and George Pickens, who had 1,140 yards last season. Both were drafted by the Steelers.
This year, they look to continue that success with the son of an NFL legend, as Jerry Rice’s son, Brenden Rice, is a 2024 draft pick. Even with two receivers as talented as Johnson and Pickens, they may need another receiver come draft time. Despite Allen Robinson surviving the team’s first round of cuts, he likely won’t be around for long anyway. This leaves the team looking for a WR3.
The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo has put together a large board for each of the Steelers’ first three 2024 draft picks. The big board in the third round featured Rice. Brendan Rice College Productions Rice wasn’t the star his father was in college, but he still secured solid roles late in his college career.
During his two seasons at Colorado, he struggled to find success to start his college career. In two years in Buffalo, he had just 27 catches for 419 yards. This led to him transferring to the University of Southern California, where he teamed with the top projected player in this year’s NFL draft. He quickly developed a relationship with Caleb Williams.
In his first season with the Trojans, Rice had 39 catches for 611 yards and 4 touchdowns. He had a better senior season. With Jordan Addison no longer on target, Rice had 45 catches for 791 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023. This development in college, along with his solid physique and legendary pedigree, make him an intriguing prospect heading into the 2024 NFL Draft.
Do the Steelers really need a wide receiver this early?
For most NFL teams, Johnson and Pickens will be enough as the organization doesn’t feel the need to find a wide receiver early in the draft. The Steelers aren’t most teams. They have a history of being hesitant to pay receivers once their rookie contracts expire. Mike Wallace left for the Dolphins after four years in Pittsburgh. Emmanuel Sanders went to Denver.
They signed JuJu Smith-Schuster to a one-year deal only after his rookie deal expired. Even Johnson only got two years in his second contract with the Steelers. Johnson now has only one year left on his contract. There is no guarantee that they will be willing to pay whatever price it takes to keep him around.
With that in mind, a good idea for the Steelers would be to consider a receiver with mid-level upside to become a WR3 in 2024 and potentially replace Johnson in 2025. If they decide they want to go that route, they could certainly do worse than snatching up the son of the best wide receiver in league history for a third-round pick.
