Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes shows input in team’s NFL draft selections with call to ex-SMU WR Rashee Rice

The Kansas City Chiefs selected Rashee Rice with the 55th pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft and their star quarterback Patrick Mahomes had some input in the pick it seems.

With the No. 55 overall pick in the 2023 @NFLDraft, the @Chiefs select Rashee Rice!

📺: 2023 #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/D3EqkrKdIw pic.twitter.com/mvK9FrFpWs

— NFL (@NFL) April 29, 2023

Prior to the NFL draft, Patrick spent some time training in Texas and threw passes to a number of prospects, one of whom was the flashy SMU wide receiver. And now, they can do it again on the pitch during an NFL game; a dream came true for Rashee.

After the draft, the SMU WR expressed his gratitude to the chiefs’ star and revealed what happened during those training sessions.

• NFL Draft 2023: Chiefs trade up to provide Patrick Mahomes another offensive weapon in second round

What did Rashee Rice say about Patrick Mahomes?

the 23-year-old has become a fan of the two-time Super Bowl MVP and found out about his contribution on chiefs picking him up at the draft.

“I actually ran a couple of routes with Pat, did a couple of training sessions with him. He actually called me while coach was on the phone,” Rice said. “I’m going to call him back. I’m real excited about that.”

The typa phone calls you work for.@PatrickMahomes @BGShaneBuechele
🤝
@RiceRashee11 pic.twitter.com/SjteYfWGkk

— SMU Football (@SMUFB) April 29, 2023

“It was great. You can’t complain about anybody like him,” Rice added. “He made me feel like I was running the best routes in the world, putting it exactly where it needed to be.”

From the No. 63 pick, the Chiefs moved up to the 55th pick by exchanging the fourth-round and seventh-round picks with Detroit in exchange for the 55th pick and a sixth-round pick. The Super Bowl champs were able to fill one of their major gaps on the offensive side of the ball by outpacing other teams hunting for a wide receiver as a result.

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Rashee Rice decided to stay at SMU for one more season because he could take on a bigger role during his senior season and he could also improve his skills. Last season, he went on to catch 96 passes for 1,335 yards and 10 touchdowns.