Luke McCaffrey WR Rice | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Luke McCaffrey WR Rice
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| ROLE: Slot Receiver | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 08/07/2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.46 seconds (66%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 23.8 DOB: 04/02/2001 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ROLE: Slot Receiver | |
| Last Updated: 08/07/2024 | |
| Draft Year: 2024 | |
| 40 time: 4.46 seconds (66%*) | |
| Age: 23.8 DOB: 04/02/2001 | |
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |
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| Overall Rating: | 81.5 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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69% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 86.5 | |
| Hands: |
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75% |
| Short Receiving: |
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79% |
| Intermediate Routes: |
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82% |
| Deep Threat: |
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83% |
| Blocking: |
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50% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
5th
Overall Rank:
#145
Position rank:
#24
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| College Games: 33 College Snaps: 1517 | ||
ESPN RATING: 83/100
College Combine Results
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OVR Rank:
#28
Pos Rank:
#4
State Rank:
#1
College Combine Results
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247 RATING: 89/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.7 (93%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Romeo Doubs - Nevada |
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95% |
| Kevin Austin Jr. - Notre Dame |
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87% |
| Puka Nacua - BYU |
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86% |
Drafted: ROUND: 3 - Pick Number: 100 (WSH)
Draft Profile: Bio
Luke McCaffrey, a former quarterback turned wide receiver at Rice, has carved a winding path to the NFL Draft. Starting his collegiate career at Nebraska, McCaffrey initially showcased his talents as a quarterback before transferring to Rice, where he transitioned to wide receiver. In his final collegiate season, he tallied impressive numbers, making 71 receptions for 992 yards and 13 touchdowns. His performance earned him a First Team All-AAC selection in 2023, underlining his successful adaptation and impact at the wide receiver position.Coming from a family with deep NFL roots, Luke is the son of Ed McCaffrey, a former NFL receiver, and the brother of Christian McCaffrey, a current NFL running back. This football lineage has undoubtedly influenced his development and understanding of the game. At Rice, McCaffrey demonstrated a keen sense of the field, leveraging his quarterbacking experience to excel in his new role.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Impressive in contested catch situations and displays expansive catch radius
- Exhibits an impressive football IQ, leveraging his quarterbacking background to enhance his understanding of the game.
- Exceptional at making himself available for quarterbacks, especially in Cover-0 situations, showing acute route awareness.
- Demonstrates quick, controlled footwork, enabling sharp cuts and effective navigation in and out of breaks.
- Possesses natural ball-carrying instincts, evident in his creative open-field maneuvers and ability to evade tacklers.
- Proves to be a formidable competitor in contested-catch scenarios, unphased by middle-field contact.
- Can accelerate swiftly off the line and burst out of breaks, contributing to his separation ability.
- His route running showed marked improvement over the course of the season, suggesting a high ceiling with further development.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Lacks consistency in stem work against off-coverage, sometimes struggling with technique.
- His inexperience at the receiver position occasionally leads to technical missteps, particularly against skilled defenders.
- Thinner frame may lead to challenges in physical confrontations with defenders and in run blocking.
- Release techniques need refinement to effectively counter NFL-caliber press coverage.
- Vertical speed and sustained separation from defenders in deep routes could limit his effectiveness on the outside.
Scouting Report: Summary
Luke McCaffrey's transition from a quarterback to a wide receiver at Rice showcased his adaptability and keen football intelligence. His senior year stats, marked by 71 receptions for 992 yards and 13 touchdowns, underline his growth and potential at the position. However, McCaffrey's move to the NFL will require a step up in terms of physicality and technique. His background as a QB gives him a unique understanding of offensive schemes, making him an asset in the slot. Yet, his challenges against press coverage and need for more polished route precision highlight areas for development.McCaffrey's strengths lie in his catch radius, hands, and ability to make plays in traffic, qualities that compensate for his current limitations in speed and route sophistication. His ability to quickly turn upfield after the catch and navigate through defenders adds value to his profile as a potential slot receiver. Nonetheless, the need to enhance his release and combat NFL-level physicality at the line could determine his adaptability and success at the professional level.
Luke McCaffrey percentiles vs other Wide Receivers (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Luke McCaffrey (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
133.1
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
31.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.