Arrowheadlines: WR Rashee Rice is a good fit in Kansas City

The latest

Kansas City Chiefs NFL Draft picks 2023: Grades, fits and scouting reports | The Athletic

Round 2 - No. 55 (from Lions via Vikings): Rashee Rice, WR, SMU

How he fits

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs land one of the best big-play, over-the-top pass catchers in the draft. Rice is a solid player physically without overwhelming speed, though he plays with exceptional explosion, enough to create separation in the air and during his route. He can get into the air and finish with anyone, strong hands — and good hands. That makes the many drops he has had pretty inexcusable. He can be a YAC machine. His overall play awareness and general focus must improve, but this feels like a sneaky good fit for Andy Reid and company. — Nick Baumgardner

Dane Brugler’s analysis

A three-year starter at SMU, Rice moved from the slot to the perimeter as a senior in head coach Rhett Lashlee’s power-spread offense. At a program that has produced a long list of quality receivers, he had the most prolific season school history in 2022, breaking Emmanuel Sanders’ receiving yards record and ranking No. 1 in the FBS with 112.9 receiving yards per game.

With his ability to frame his catches, Rice times his leaps and wins jumps balls, leading the FBS with 18 catches of 20-plus air yards downfield in 2022. Though he makes tough catches look easy, he is also guilty of dropping some easy ones and will freelance at will.

Nate Taylor’s analysis: SMU product could develop into effective possession receiver

Scott Dochterman’s grade: B

‘That’s My Dog!’ Cowboys Ex Ezekiel Elliott Being Recruited to Sign by Chiefs Playmaker | Cowboys Country

FRISCO - Former Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott still remains unsigned but could have a new home soon. And it could be a contender.

As part of the USAA Salute to Service Chalk Talk, Heavy Sports talked to Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco, who appears ready for Elliott to join him in KC.

“Ezekiel Elliott, that’s my dog. I’ve been watching him growing up, watched film on him, take [down] details, dropped notes [on his game],” Pacheco told Heavy Sports. “Just finding ways to get better on the field is something I take very personally.

“Hey, I’m with it [Elliott signing with the Chiefs], whatever he makes the decision. I’m willing and I’m ready to compete if he’s ready. So, we’ll see.”

2023 NFL Draft: Day 2 quick-snap grades for all 32 teams | NFL.com

Grade: A-

Kansas City Chiefs
SMU WR Rashee Rice (No. 55 overall)
Oklahoma OT Wanya Morris (No. 92)
Day 1 grade: B-

Analysis: The Chiefs traded their third-round compensatory selection for Kadarius Toney but still had a need for a pass-catcher. They traded up in the second round to pick Rice, one of my favorites in the class because of his size, strong hands and ability to make defenders miss after the catch. Kansas City moved up again for a swing tackle in Morris, bolstering the offensive line. This is a good example of a highly talented team being willing to give up late-round picks to find value on Day 2.

The case for Frank Clark’s return to the Kansas City Chiefs | Arrowhead Addict

Perhaps Clark’s most unrecognized contribution to the 2022 team was the work with then-rookie George Karlaftis last offseason. That kind of thing, coupled with excellent coaching from defensive line coach Joe Cullen, could accelerate the growth and maturation of Uzomah. Last season, the Chiefs were the league’s No. 2-ranked pass rush. Having Clark back makes this an even deeper position group that can withstand an injury or two. Just last year, the Chiefs lost Tershawn Wharton on the defensive interior. Fortunately for them, Khalen Saunders was there to help pick up the slack.

Clark brings championship experience, leadership, and an old-school defensive mentality to the table. It’s impossible to undersell how important that can be for a young cast of defensive players. Even one that recently won the Super Bowl. He may never get home as often as he used to, but he still generates a lot of pressure and has enough juice to play significant snaps.

Father, son who played for Chiefs to announce draft pick | Fox4

The NFL will welcome two former Kansas City Chiefs players to the Draft stage Friday night.

Ed and Brad Budde will announce a Chiefs pick during the second or third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. While each man played in the league, this will be the first time either will experience a draft crowd like the one that is expected to show up Friday.

The father and son both played for the Kansas City Chiefs a decade apart.

The 2023 NFL draft has begun, and the first round has officially concluded. With some crazy picks, trades, and shocks, it certainly hasn’t let us down.

“We are the first father and son, ever to be drafted in the first round by the same team. And then there’s some more we both played offensive left guard. And top it all off. We are both number 71,” Brad Budde said.

Instant analysis of Chiefs selecting Oklahoma OT Wanya Morris at pick No. 92 | Chiefs Wire

Morris actually happened to be one of my 2023 NFL draft crushes. He has a good size at This 6-foot-5 and 307 pounds, with positional flex to play right tackle, left tackle and both guard spots. He played with Trey Smith at Tennessee before transferring to Oklahoma, so he has some familiarity with a player who he might be playing beside in Kansas City.

The movement skills are there in the run game and the footwork is there in the passing game. If there is one concern coming out of college, it’s the timing of his punch. He can sometimes miss and that leads to some snaps where he’s caught lunging.

In the run game, he has a bit of a nasty streak and he seems to be the prototypical finisher that coaches are really looking for. He’s also a former five-star recruit from high school, so I feel that Morris is still loaded with untapped potential even entering the next level.

Fantasy Football: Chiefs draft pick Rashee Rice brings diversity to receiving corps, lands on Dynasty radar | CBS Sports

Rashee Rice, SMU

Predraft prospect grade: 81.2 (9th)
Peripheral grade: 70 (13th)
Route readiness grade: 83 (5th)
Volume potential grade: 90 (5th)
Explosiveness grade: 82 (10th)
Yardage creation grade: 82 (9th)

I did not expect Rice to be selected in Round 2 as the seventh receiver off of the board. Among the 18 rookie receivers that I evaluated, Rashee Rice came out with the ninth-highest grade, but he will likely move up to 7th or 8th after adjusting his NFL Draft capital. After Kansas City’s investment, Rice has become a legitimately intriguing Fantasy option for 2023 and beyond. There are definitely things to like about his prospect profile, and this type of draft capital makes those things easier to believe in.

The two areas of Rice’s profile that stand out are his volume grade (ranked 5th among 18 receivers) and route readiness grade (also 5th). A lack of route readiness was a major red flag on the draft profile of both Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney, so Kansas City trading up to add a four-year wideout who produced over 3,000 yards while filling a variety of roles is certainly interesting. The Super Bowl champs may very well view Rice as capable of contributing in a significant way as a rookie.

Kelce Jam draws thousands of enthusiastic music and Chiefs fans | KCTV 5

A DJ’s countdown signaled his entrance. The two-time Super Bowl winner, recent SNL host, and now namesake of his own music and food festival wasn’t just the host of the party; he was the life of the party.

He hyped the crowd with a replica Lombardi Trophy, dousing it with an alcoholic beverage then throwing it to the ground. He led several sing-alongs, including his signature Beastie Boys song “Fight for Your Right” and House of Pain’s “Jump Around,” getting down with some impressive dance moves.

Based on all the Chiefs gear in the audience, it was clear that people might have come for the food and music, but the big draw was the Kelce charisma.

The music lineup was diverse, as was the audience. Several especially committed fans traveled from both coasts and sat outside the gates 12 hours before they opened so that they could get as close to the stage as possible for headlining act Machine Gun Kelly.

Lee’s Summit High School football coach, teammates react to Felix Anudike-Uzomah being drafted by Chiefs | KMBC 9

The Chiefs selected the former high school standout and K-State Wildcat in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft in Kansas City.

Anudike-Uzomah’s former high school football coach, journalism teacher, and teammate all celebrated him Friday remembering their time together just a few short years ago.

“Felix turned himself into where he’s at now,” said Lee’s Summit High School football coach Eric Thomas. “With Felix man, it’s just a bunch of hard work,” he said.

“It was chaos and melee,” she said.

Around the NFL

The First Read: Winners and losers from Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft | NFL.com

WINNERS

1) Brad Holmes, general manager, Detroit Lions: Holmes started the draft with five picks in the first three rounds, and he used them masterfully, spinning them via a series of trades into six players by the end of Friday night, including a QB to develop for the future. He showed some strong convictions on the first day, trading back to select Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs and landing Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell with the 18th overall spot — jumping at two prospects who, in his words, “are ready to go right now,” even if many draft graders balked at the picks after the fact. In Round 2, Holmes narrowed in on more needs. Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta should make up for the departure of T.J. Hockenson in a midseason trade with Minnesota last year. Alabama safety Brian Branch is smart and versatile and one more asset in a secondary that was in need of a major overhaul. And in Round 3, Holmes nabbed Tennessee signal-caller Hendon Hooker, who could be prepped as Jared Goff’s eventual replacement, then cashed in a trio of Day 3 picks in a trade that allowed him to take Western Kentucky defensive tackle Brodric Martin at No. 96.

Will Levis, after NFL draft free fall, taken in second round by Titans | ESPN

After tumbling out of the first round of the NFL draft, Will Levis found a home with the Tennessee Titans, who traded up Friday night to select the former Kentucky quarterback with the No. 33 overall pick.

After not taking a quarterback in Thursday’s first round, the Titans made an aggressive move for their potential quarterback of the future one night later by agreeing to a trade with the Arizona Cardinals, who acquired a second-round pick (No. 41 overall) and third-round pick (No. 72) in this year’s draft and a third-rounder in 2024.

“Last night was tough,” Levis said. “I knew that what was meant to be was going to happen. It’s one of those things where you feel like you’re going to handle yourself and be composed, but then the waterworks started flowing and just emotions got overwhelming.”

In case you missed it on Arrowhead Pride

Grading the Chiefs’ pick of Kansas State defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah at 31

On Friday night, the Kansas City Chiefs traded up to the 55th pick of the second round of the NFL Draft to select SMU wide receiver Rashee Rice.

As Rice comes to Kansas City, he already has some familiarity with two of the quarterbacks on the roster — starting with former SMU quarterback Shane Buechele.

“I talked to him the whole time during the draft process,” Rice told Kansas City reporters in a Friday night Zoom call. “I ran routes with him as well. He called me as soon as my name got called on TV.

“I mean, that’s my guy. I know we’re going to have a great connection. We’re just ready to make some plays like we did in college.”

But Rice has also spent some time with the more-famous Kansas City quarterback: Patrick Mahomes. After Rice’s selection, we learned that Rice was among the draft prospects who caught balls from Mahomes (and other current Chiefs) during the quarterback’s offseason workouts in Fort Worth, Texas.

A tweet to make you think

Follow Arrowhead Pride on Social Media

• Facebook Page: Click here to like our page
• AP Instagram: Follow @ArrowheadPride
• AP Twitter: Follow @ArrowheadPride
• AP Staff on Twitter: see complete list
• 610 Sports Twitter: Follow @610SportsKC