Connection With Patrick Mahomes Sparked Chiefs’ Rashee Rice Pick
The Kansas City Chiefs pulled off a trade-up in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, investing in the wide receiver position and giving quarterback Patrick Mahomes another weapon to throw to. Rashee Rice from Southern Methodist University was the pick, going 55th overall.
The pick surprised some at the time of the announcement but as additional information has surfaced, it becomes more and more apparent that the Chiefs' decision to move up for Rice stemmed from more than just a simple scouting report. On Bleacher Report's B/R Gridiron NFL Draft broadcast, Adam Lefkoe revealed that Mahomes threw with Rice down in Dallas this offseason in addition to the 23-year-old wideout having a top-30 visit with the team:
"So I'm texting with (Patrick) Mahomes right now and was like, 'Do you like this guy?' And he says, 'I threw with him in Dallas.' He said, 'You know I put my input on all offensive guys.' I'm like, 'I know you do.' That's part of the reason why I love Mahomes. He's not one of these quarterbacks that's like, 'I'll see you in the offseason.' He's in there talking to Veach going, 'This is the guy that I want.'
"Similar thing that happened with Skyy Moore, if you remember that, probably also why he was throwing out with Zay (Flowers) — Pat worked out with this guy, threw with him out in Dallas and he said, 'I want this guy,' and you get him. He's going to play very early on. Rashee Rice, the new weapon for Pat."
Details of Mahomes hosting draft-eligible wide receivers such as TCU's Quentin Johnston and Boston College's Zay Flowers were widely available and discussed plenty leading up to the draft, but Rice's involvement with him wasn't. In his post-selection Zoom call with the media, Rice said he stayed in contact with Kansas City recently and knew he wanted to be a member of the Chiefs.
There was a ton of smoke surrounding the Chiefs potentially taking a wide receiver in the top 100 picks of this year's draft, especially considering the team was set to rely on players with major question marks. That doesn't change with the addition of Rice, but it does insulate the depth chart with more talent and youth. Mahomes working out with Rice and being more than willing to provide input to the coaching staff and front office effectively sealed the deal, giving the quarterback and team a new shiny toy for the 2023-24 campaign.
