Former Rice football wide receiver Luke McCaffrey was selected No. 100 overall by the Washington Commanders in the 2024 NFL Draft.
A steady riser throughout the pre-draft process, Luke McCaffrey didn’t have to wait long to learn his pro destination. The former Rice football wide receiver was selected with the final pick of the third round, going No. 100 overall to the Washington Commanders.
McCaffrey enters the NFL following a season in which he led the AAC in touchdown receptions (12), racking up 68 receptions and 963 receiving yards in the process.
He’ll follow in the footsteps of a family flush with NFL bloodlines. Luke’s brother, Christian, is a standout running back with the San Francisco 49ers. His father, Ed, was a third-round pick to the Denver Broncos who would go on to play 13 seasons in the league and win three Super Bowls.
In Washington, McCaffrey joins a robust Commanders’ roster which includes newly drafted quarterback Jayden Daniels from LSU. He’ll step into a receiver room that includes Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and others.
McCaffrey is the first Rice player to hear his name called in the NFL Draft since Christian Covington was selected by the Houston Texans in 2015 and the first top-100 selection for the Owls since Phillip Gains was drafted by the Chiefs in 2014. He’s the Rice wide receiver drafted since Jarett Dillard was selected by the Jaguars in the fifth round in 2009 and the first Rice player drafted by Washington since Tony Barker in the 10th round of the 1992 draft.
McCaffrey was named The Roost’s Offensive Player of the Year for Rice football in back-to-back seasons, his first two years playing wide receiver at the collegiate level following a transition from quarterback. If he can excel to that degree in such a short time, the sky might truly be the limit for him at the next level.
