SMU WR Rashee Rice selected in 2023 NFL Draft
SMU wide receiver Rashee Rice was selected in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2nd round with the 55th pick. He becomes the latest Mustang wideout to join the NFL ranks.
He led the FBS in receiving yards per game (112.9) this year. His 1,355 receiving yards (3rd) and 8.0 receptions per game (5th) were top five in the nation. The SMU single-season record holder in receiving yards ranked No. 13 nationally with 10 receiving touchdowns.
SMU’s long line of NFL wide receivers is something he aspired to continue. Now, the Biletnikoff Award semifinalist is doing just that.
“I’ve had a lot of older guys like James (Proche), Danny (Gray) and Reggie (Roberson) that’s basically helped me be able to control dreams becoming a reality,” Rice told reporters after SMU Pro Day. “It was a dream at first, but now it’s the next step and being able to take advantage of the opportunity.”
Rice, an All-American this year, is one of the top receivers in the 2023 NFL Draft. He came out of high school thin and emerged to be one of the biggest mismatches in the country.
“I think the biggest jump that I saw was really two-fold,” SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee said after SMU Pro Day. “I think his physique and size, you can tell that he fell in love with the weight room because he came in here as a scrawny freshman, and now he’s yoked, he’s a very physical player. I think the second thing that he improved was his explosion. He wasn’t a 4.5, high 4.4’s kid coming out of high school. He wasn’t jumping 41″, he bought into that, and a lot of it was in the weight room.”
Rice will now focus on his new home and doing what he does best — work.
“Just to keep working,” Rice said of what he plans to do. “You’re eventually going to get drafted. A team is going to come get you and once you get drafted, don’t worry about the business side, keep working.”
According to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies, Rice was the No. 115 wide receiver in the nation coming out of Richland High.
The 2023 NFL Draft is from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event is at the plaza just outside of Union Station. The draft will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.
