Luke McCaffrey has only been playing wide receiver full-time for a couple years. But it’s hard to tell based on how the Rice wideout has grasped the position in such a short amount of time.
Against Houston this past season, the Owls led 14-0 late in the first quarter and were threatening to score again. When Rice quarterback J.T. Daniels began dropping back, he immediately looked McCaffrey’s way.
The ball was out of Daniels’ hand within a second. A defender was closely covering McCaffrey, but it didn’t matter because Daniels trusted McCaffrey that much.
The pass reached McCaffrey near the goal line and was out of reach of the defender. It nearly was for McCaffrey too, but he dove and hauled it in with one hand, scoring a touchdown and losing his helmet in the process.
McCaffrey is an athletic playmaker and could be a good addition for an NFL team.
“I’m just going to be excited to be playing football because a lot of people don’t get that opportunity as you grow up,” McCaffrey said at the NFL Combine. “So I’m going to be excited wherever I am.”
Where Did Luke McCaffrey Get Drafted?
McCaffrey was drafted by the Washington Commanders in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He was selected with the 100th overall pick.
Luke McCaffrey’s Family
Luke McCaffrey is the son of Ed McCaffrey, a Super Bowl-winning wide receiver for the Denver Broncos, and the younger brother of current NFL star and San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.
His brother, Max McCaffrey, is a former NFL wide receiver who’s now an assistant coach for the Miami Dolphins. And his other brother, Dylan McCaffrey, played collegiately as well at Michigan and Northern Colorado.
“It’s shaped me in every possible way,” Luke McCaffrey said of his familial background. “I didn’t do anything to earn having those role models in my life. I was blessed to have my heroes as my three brothers and my mom and my dad. To have those people and those influences in your life, especially at an early age and as you grow up, has been nothing but a blessing.”
What Was Luke McCaffrey’s 40 Time?
McCaffrey ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds at the NFL Combine, which was good for 19th among wide receivers.
He shined in other drills, ranking first among wideouts with a 4.02-second 20-yard shuttle and second with a three-cone drill time of 6.7 seconds.
At 6-foot-2, 198 pounds, McCaffrey also recorded a vertical jump of 36 inches, which tied for 23rd for wide receivers, and a broad jump of 10 feet, 1 inch, which tied for 25th.
Luke McCaffrey’s Stats And Highlights
McCaffrey has only been playing wide receiver full time for the past couple seasons. That means he may not know the position as well as some prospects, but that also means he has a great deal of room to improve.
This past year, he caught 71 passes for 992 yards and 13 touchdowns – which tied for the sixth-most scores in the FBS. He also rushed for 117 yards on 15 carries.
Among wide receivers who were targeted at least 76 times, McCaffrey was 27th in Pro Football Focus’ grades. He also ranked 15th with a 60.7 contested catch rate and tied for 24th with 46 first downs.
In 2022, he tallied 723 yards and six touchdowns on 58 catches to go with 148 yards and one touchdown on 12 rushes. And before that, he played quarterback at Rice and at Nebraska.
McCaffrey said he was never outright asked to switch positions. He believes his career path and choices have helped him grow as a football player, and he’s thankful for the Rice coaching staff which helped him make the transition.
“Whether you wanna go down the path of quarterback or you want to open it up to something else, I think you’re going to succeed,” McCaffrey remembered coaches telling him. “It’s just the approach and how you go about your business and way you attack it and try to get better in everything is what’s going to make you succeed. Either way, it’s going to take a lot of hard work. It’s going to be a long, tough, and fun process, but I think the way it played out, I’m so thankful.”
Luke McCaffrey’s NFL Comparison And Draft Profile
My NFL comparison for McCaffrey is former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman. He was a Group of Five product, having played for Kent State, and also played quarterback in college before moving to wide receiver.
McCaffrey has the quickness to outrun a number of NFL defensive backs. He’s also physical and isn’t afraid to go up for catches when a defender is sure to hit him immediately after.
McCaffrey was a dependable pass catcher, as he had a drop percentage of just 4.1% and would often make one-handed grabs.
He’s also obviously comfortable with the ball in his hands. He showed excellent vision in the open field.
He’ll continue to acclimate to playing wide receiver, but McCaffrey is in a good position to become a successful professional.
“The best way to get good at something is to focus on your role and your job,” McCaffrey said. “So week in and week out, I’m focused on, how am I going to help the team the best way possible? Whether that’s beating someone one on one and creating mismatches, whether that’s blocking in the run game, I’m focused on what my duty is.”
