Luke McCaffrey has not taken a conventional path to reaching the NFL draft.
He was a four-star recruit in the 2019 class, per 247Sports Composite Rankings, listed as an "athlete" with dual-threat capabilities as a quarterback. He committed to Nebraska and spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career as a signal-caller for the Cornhuskers, though he largely struggled. He transferred to Rice where he spent one more year as a quarterback before changing to wide receiver.
The position swap has certainly been a welcome change. McCaffrey had 723 receiving yards and six touchdowns with 148 rushing yards in his first year at the position with the Owls in 2022. In 2023, he upped his game even further, hauling in 71 passes for 992 yards and 13 touchdowns while rushing 15 times for 117 yards.
Heading into the draft, McCaffrey is considered a likely Day 3 selection. He posted an impressive NFL Combine performance that opened eyes and helped set the stage for becoming the third player in his family drafted by an NFL team and fourth to reach the league.
McCaffrey's older brother, Christian McCaffrey, and his dad, Ed McCaffrey, have both earned Pro Bowl nods during their careers. How does Luke McCaffrey compare to the All-Pro family members? Here's what you need to know.
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Luke McCaffrey 40 time
McCaffrey ran an impressive 4.46 40-yard dash at the 2024 NFL Draft.
That is 0.02 seconds faster than Christian McCaffrey's time of 4.48 in the 2017 combine. It's also 0.23 seconds faster than his dad's 40 time in the 1991 combine.
Here's a full side-by-side comparison of the family's NFL Combine results:
| Combine event | Luke McCaffrey | Christian McCaffrey | Ed McCaffrey |
| 40-yard dash | 4.46 seconds | 4.48 seconds | 4.69 seconds |
| Vertical jump | 36 inches | 37.5 inches | 37 inches |
| Broad jump | 10 foot, 1 inch | 10 foot, 1 inch | N/A |
| 3-cone drill | 6.7 seconds | 6.57 seconds | N/A |
| 20-yard shuttle | 4.02 seconds | 4.22 seconds | 4.15 seconds |
Luke has the edge in the 40 and the 20-yard shuttle, and he's tied with Christian in the broad jump. The 49ers running back has the edge in the vertical jump and the 3-cone drill.
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Luke McCaffrey scouting report
McCaffrey profiles as a slot receiver at the next level. Though he stands 6-2, he weighs only 198 pounds, meaning he's not going to be a physical receiver like others of his height in the NFL even if he plays with plenty of toughness.
He's impressed evaluators with his route-running ability, particularly for someone relatively new to the position. McCaffrey is also a reliable receiver who isn't likely to drop many passes that hit him in the hands. There is some shiftiness that could help him unlock the next level in the NFL if he can improve in getting past defenders at the line.
There are concerns that his ceiling is a bit limited since he often struggles to beat press coverage, and though he has decent speed, he hasn't shown the ability to explode past coverage. Still, a receiver capable of making consistent catches and bringing depth to the receiving room will be valuable.
Luke McCaffrey stats
| Year | School | Pos | G | Cmp-Att (Cmp%) | Pass Yds | Pass TD | Int | Rush Att | Rush Yds | Rush TD | Rec | Rec Yds | Rec TD |
| 2019 | Nebraska | QB | 4 | 9-12 (75%) | 142 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 166 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 2020 | Nebraska | QB | 7 | 48-76 (63.2%) | 466 | 1 | 6 | 65 | 364 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 2021 | Rice | QB | 9 | 31-62 (50%) | 313 | 2 | 4 | 41 | 132 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Rice | WR | 11 | 0-0 (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 148 | 1 | 58 | 723 | 6 |
| 2023 | Rice | WR | 13 | 0-2 (0%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 117 | 0 | 71 | 992 | 13 |
| Career | -- | -- | -- | 88-152 (57.9%) | 921 | 5 | 10 | 157 | 927 | 7 | 131 | 1732 | 19 |
Luke McCaffrey mock draft
McCaffrey is generally projected to be drafted in the middle rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Here's a look at where he lands in several seven-round mock drafts:
- Sporting News: Round 5, No. 145 overall to Broncos
- The Athletic: Round 4, No. 135 overall to 49ers
- ESPN: Round 4, No. 121 overall to Broncos