Commanders Select McCaffrey in the Third Round
4/26/2024 10:44:00 PM | Football
Highest-drafted Owl since Phillip Gaines
Rice wide receiver Luke McCaffrey was selected by the Washington Commanders with the 37th pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft on Friday, becoming the first Owl since Christian Covington in 2015 to have his name called in the league's annual three-day selection of college talent. Covington was taken by Houston in the sixth round (214th selection).
His selection in the third round makes him the highest-drafted Owl since Phillip Gaines was taken in the third round (87th selection) of the 2014 draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. He is the first Rice wide receiver selected since Jarett Dillard was taken in the fifth round (144th selection) of the 2009 draft by Jacksonville. McCaffrey is the seventh Owl to be selected by Washington and the first since linebacker Tony Barker was taken in the 10th round of the 1992 draft.
McCaffrey earned consensus All-AAC honors and was a repeat winner of the George Martin Award as Rice's MVP after a stellar campaign in 2023, his second after making the switch from quarterback.
He led the conference and tied for seventh nationally at the end of the regular season with a career-high 12 touchdown receptions and was fourth in the AAC with 68 receptions and fifth with 963 yards (also career highs) while leading Rice to the LendingTree Bowl. His average of 14.0 yards per catch was the most by an Owl with at least 60 receptions since Dillard averaged 15.1 on 87 receptions in 2008. McCaffrey's touchdown total ranks fifth all-time at Rice and is tied for the eighth most in conference history.
His 68 receptions stand seventh all-time at Rice while his 963 yards are sixth on the single-season list. He is tied for third on the Rice career chart with 18 touchdown receptions and is eighth in both career receptions (126) and receiving yards (1,686), all coming in just two seasons (24 games) after playing quarterback in his first season at Rice after transferring from Nebraska.
His selection in the third round makes him the highest-drafted Owl since Phillip Gaines was taken in the third round (87th selection) of the 2014 draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. He is the first Rice wide receiver selected since Jarett Dillard was taken in the fifth round (144th selection) of the 2009 draft by Jacksonville. McCaffrey is the seventh Owl to be selected by Washington and the first since linebacker Tony Barker was taken in the 10th round of the 1992 draft.
McCaffrey earned consensus All-AAC honors and was a repeat winner of the George Martin Award as Rice's MVP after a stellar campaign in 2023, his second after making the switch from quarterback.
He led the conference and tied for seventh nationally at the end of the regular season with a career-high 12 touchdown receptions and was fourth in the AAC with 68 receptions and fifth with 963 yards (also career highs) while leading Rice to the LendingTree Bowl. His average of 14.0 yards per catch was the most by an Owl with at least 60 receptions since Dillard averaged 15.1 on 87 receptions in 2008. McCaffrey's touchdown total ranks fifth all-time at Rice and is tied for the eighth most in conference history.
His 68 receptions stand seventh all-time at Rice while his 963 yards are sixth on the single-season list. He is tied for third on the Rice career chart with 18 touchdown receptions and is eighth in both career receptions (126) and receiving yards (1,686), all coming in just two seasons (24 games) after playing quarterback in his first season at Rice after transferring from Nebraska.
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