Justin Melo of The Draft Network reports that the San Francisco 49ers will host USC wide receiver Brenden Rice on a pre-draft visit in Santa Clara. The 49ers were among the teams that met with Rice, the son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, at the NFL Scouting Combine.
#USC WR Brenden Rice has completed a 30 visit with the #Chargers, per an NFL personnel team source.
Rice met with the #Bears contingent at USCs Pro Day. Has 30s coming up #Raiders, #Jets, #49ers, #Eagles. pic.twitter.com/zuQpsTFPcM
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) March 21, 2024
According to Sports Reference, Rice amassed 84 receptions for 1,402 yards and 16 touchdowns in two seasons with the Trojans after transferring from Colorado.
"The bloodlines don't get much better than Jerry Rice, so Brenden Rice might have a head start on the rest of the field," Lance Zierlein wrote in the player's NFL.com scouting report. "He's big and plays a physical brand of football when cornerbacks want to fight over space. He lacks sudden feet, so beating press cleanly and separating on short routes could be challenging as a pro.
"Rice possesses good build-up speed to create deep-ball opportunities once his ball skills are added to the equation. Rice catches with quick, strong hands and good extension to help with frequent contested catches. There are some limitations at play, but he has enough checkmarks to project as an early backup with some upward mobility."
At the NFL Scouting Combine, the 6' 2 3/8" and 208-pound Rice posted a 40-yard dash time of 4.5 seconds, a vertical jump of 36.5 inches, a broad jump of nine feet, 11 inches, and 13 reps in the bench press.
Additionally, Rice boasts an arm length of 33 inches and hands measuring 9 5/8 inches.
In February, Rice expressed his openness to playing for his father's former team, stating, "Honestly, I just hope I go into the right situation. If the 49ers is the perfect situation for me to go ahead and battle for a top position on that team, then most definitely. I'm prepared for it."
Click here to view our meeting tracker, which compiles all the reported formal and informal meetings between San Francisco and the players hoping to be part of the NFL's latest rookie class.
The 2024 NFL Draft will take place in Detroit, Michigan, from Thursday, April 25, through Saturday, April 27.
