Chad Reuter recently unveiled a four-round mock draft for NFL.com, the breakdown of which can be found here. One notable takeaway is Reuter's projection of the San Francisco 49ers selecting former Rice wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, brother of current 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, in the third round with the No. 94 overall pick.
The younger McCaffrey has garnered attention in NFL circles leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft. Luke's performance at the NFL Scouting Combine saw him narrowly best his brother's 40-yard dash time, clocking in at 4.47 seconds. Seven years prior, Christian recorded a time of 4.48 seconds.
ESPN's Field Yates reports that Luke's name has recently come up a lot in NFL circles, describing the receiver as "a fun prospect to study and project."
"The former quarterback has just two seasons as a receiver under his belt, but he crushed the combine and shows a competitive edge on film," Yates commented. "While his route running is still a work in progress, McCaffrey tied with [Washington WR Rome] Odunze for the most contested catches in FBS last season with 24. He might need a developmental stage, but he's an early Day 3 pick I would bet on -- and he has a lot of love around the league."
While it's unclear how seriously the 49ers are evaluating Luke, the team spoke with him at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Rice WR Luke McCaffrey, brother of Christian McCaffrey said between the Senior Bowl and here, he has met with the San Francisco 49ers.#49ers pic.twitter.com/dEz96YfRgt
— Chase Senior (@Chase_Senior) March 1, 2024
When asked what it would be like to play with his brother in Santa Clara, Luke stated, "It would be a dream come true. ... That's something that you dream about your whole life. That's something that, it would really just be an honor, be a blessing. But I'm so excited to go through this process, just working my butt off to make any team that'll take me."
Rice's ⭐️ Wide Receiver Luke McCaffrey brother of #49ers RB Christian McCaffrey said "It would be a dream come true to play for the 49ers." #49wz pic.twitter.com/LNdo1spoCF
— WayneBreezie (@thewaynebreezie) January 31, 2024
Luke hauled in 71 receptions for 992 yards and 13 touchdowns this past season, per Sports Reference, averaging 14.2 yards per catch. Additionally, he carried the ball 15 times for 117 yards, averaging 7.8 yards per carry.
In December, Christian provided a scouting report on his younger brother, praising his skill set when asked about him.
"If I'm a scout, he's got every tool you need," Christian remarked. "He's fast, he's big, he's strong. He can play any position. [49ers RB coach] Bobby Turner always talks about the greatest compliment you can give someone is that they're a football player, and that's exactly what he is. Look at how many SportsCenter top catches or whatever he had."
When asked about the prospect of lining up on the football field with Luke, Christian enthusiastically responded, "I would love to play with him one day. That would be the coolest thing ever."
