Patriots draft profile: Luke McCaffrey offers more than a big name

The brother of 49ers star Christian McCaffrey is a Day 3 wide receiver prospect.

Pro football blood runs through the veins of the McCaffrey family. Ed is a former wide receiver and three-time Super Bowl champion, while his sons Christian and Max also made the jump to the NFL: the former is a star running back for the San Francisco 49ers, the latter bounced around the league and is currently an offensive assistant for the Miami Dolphins.

Will draft hopeful Luke McCaffrey follow those footsteps and keep the family tradition alive? He will get an opportunity, that much seems relatively certain. And given the New England Patriots’ need to upgrade their offensive arsenal, that chance might just be coming from them.

Hard facts

Name: Luke McCaffrey

Position: Wide receiver

School: Rice

Opening day age: 23 (4/2/2001)

Measurements: 6’1 1/2”, 198 lbs, 74 1/2” wingspan, 30 1/8” arm length, 9 5/8” hand size, 4.46 40-yard dash, 4.02 short shuttle, 6.7 3-cone, 36” vertical jump, 10’1” broad jump, 9.40 Relative Athletic Score

Experience

Career statistics: 44 games (28 starts) | 1,792 offensive snaps, 10 special teams snaps | 210 targets, 131 catches (62.4%), 1,732 receiving yards, 19 TDs | 124 carries, 1,032 rushing yards (7.0 yards/carry), 7 TDs | 88-of-154 (57.1%), 921 passing yards, 5 TDs, 10 INTs | 13 fumbles

Accolades: First-team All-AAC (2023), Academic All-Big Ten (2020)

Playing multiple roles under his father, Ed, at Valor Christian High School in Highland’s Ranch, CO, McCaffrey was rated a four-star recruit making the move to the college level. He received scholarship offers from multiple power-5 schools but eventually ended up at the University of Nebraska, where he started out as a dual-threat quarterback.

However, his playing time with the Cornhuskers fluctuated and he eventually decided to transfer after starting just two games in two seasons. McCaffrey initially joined Louisville, but less than four months later was on the move again. He finally arrived at Rice, where he would spend the final three years of his college career.

McCaffrey continued playing quarterback in his first year with the Owls — albeit again finding only limited success — before making the move to his high school position of wide receiver during the spring of 2022. Despite not having played the position in several years, he quickly regained his footing and over his two years as a Rice WR caught 129 passes for 1,715 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Draft profile

Expected round: 6-7 | Consensus big board: No. 121 | Patriots meeting: Senior Bowl

Strengths: Measuring at just under 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, McCaffrey brings adequate size to the table while also putting up some solid numbers during pre-draft testing. His natural athletic traits have helped him make the transition back to wide receiver for his final two college seasons, and he showed some steady improvement.

McCaffrey has good hands, and the necessary spatial awareness and concentration to compete for contested catches. He gets out of his stance and up to speed quickly, and while not the fastest straight-line runner has enough nuance in his route running to challenge defenses on all three levels. He also has shown he can change direction effectively, whether on comeback routes or in- and out-breaking patterns.

Even though he started his college career at quarterback and is not the most physically imposing player, McCaffrey is not afraid of contact — both when running crossing routes, and when blocking. He also can create yards after the catch, and has a natural feel for finding openings versus zone. Additionally, he was a team captain in 2023.

Weaknesses: McCaffrey is a willing blocker but not the most effective player in this area. He needs to get better at sustaining his blocks in the run game and not be driven off his spot or out-leveraged. This lack of top-notch play strength also might become an issue against press-man coverage, or versus defensive backs able to stay on his hips through his routes; spectacular-looking contested grabs do not come as easily versus NFL competition.

His lack of wide receiver experience also shines through regularly. His route running needs to be more crisp all the way to the catch point, and he needs to find a way to get into his route and shake free from his defenders on a consistent basis. He might not be ready to contribute right out of the gate particularly because he also had limited special teams exposure in college.

Patriots preview

What would be his role? Having made the QB-to-WR transition, McCaffrey will naturally draw comparisons to ex-Patriots wideout Julian Edelman. While they are different types of players, New England might approach the latter like it did the former: just get him on the field as a talented yet underdeveloped player, and figure it out from there. At the moment, McCaffrey projects as a positionally flexible inside option, but he can also help in other areas.

What is his growth potential? McCaffrey’s ceiling remains to be determined, but there is no question he still has plenty of room to grow as a wideout. More experience at the wide receiver position alone should help him become a better player. Add his natural athleticism and you get a prospect who very well carve out a multi-year career in the NFL.

Does he have positional versatility? He is a wide receiver now, but McCaffrey offers experience at quarterback and as a ball carrier. His main focus will be catching footballs, but he could factor into the mix as a trick play or scout team QB, or be used on jet sweeps and other misdirection run plays. That said, his versatility is limited to offense: the 22-year-old has yet to show he can be a consistent performer on special teams, and there are concerns he might not be able to carve out a consistent role in the game’s third phase unless he can become more effective as a blocker.

Why the Patriots? At almost 6-foot-2, 198 pounds with solid baseline athleticism, McCaffrey looks like a natural target for an Eliot Wolf-led team. And not just that: his upside is without a doubt intriguing, and he would give New England more developmental depth at a position of need. The Patriots are not in a position to turn talent away, especially at the start of what looks like a multi-year rebuilding process.

Why not the Patriots? Even though it would only take a Day 3 pick to bring McCaffrey on board, the Patriots might prefer to go after safer late-round prospects in this year’s draft — players who would factor into the mix more in 2024 and are not of the “boom or bust” variety like McCaffrey. Obviously, late-round picks are always a gamble, but a player with limited special teams exposure who also has plenty of work to do before being NFL game ready as a receiver might simply not be attractive enough.

One-sentence verdict: McCaffrey is a raw player who has some intriguing talents, but as a long-term project should not be expected to become a Day 1 contributor.

What do you think about Luke McCaffrey as a potential Patriots target? A promising late-round gamble? Or simply not worth the investment? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.