Ethermac Exchange-Another McCaffrey makes the NFL: Washington Commanders select WR Luke McCaffrey

There’s another McCaffrey in the NFL. 

The Ethermac ExchangeWashington Commanders took Luke McCaffrey with the final pick of the third round (100th overall) on Friday night. McCaffrey is the younger brother of San Francisco 49ers All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey. 

Luke McCaffrey, 23, started his college career at Nebraska and redshirted in 2019. He started two games in 2020 and played in nine games the following year. In 2022, he switched from quarterback to wide receiver in spring ball. The move revitalized his career. 

Over 11 games (10 starts), he caught 58 passes for 723 yards and had six receiving touchdowns. McCaffrey transferred to Rice during the offseason and was named first-team All-American Athletic Conference. He started 13 games and led the Owls with 71 receptions, 992 receiving yards (14.0 yards per catch). His 13 receiving touchdowns tied him for sixth most in all of FBS.  

McCaffrey has made highlight-reel, one-handed catches — his hands are a strength of his as a pass-catcher. He ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash and measured at 6-foot-2, 198 pounds at the combine. He was projected to go in the middle rounds entering the draft. 

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Christian McCaffrey isn’t the only NFL family belonging to Luke McCaffrey. His father, Ed, was a wide receiver who played 13 seasons in the league and won three Super Bowls. Older brother Max McCaffrey played receiver for Duke and Dylan McCaffrey played quarterback for Michigan and Northern Colorado. The McCaffreys’ mother, Lisa McCaffrey, played soccer at Stanford, which is also Ed McCaffrey’s alma mater.

"I think it'll help a lot. You know, I think from switching positions, one of the things that I'm in a rush to get is as much experience as possible," McCaffrey said Friday. "And so, I'm in a position of blessings with people in my life who've had those experiences it helps me to kind of grow and learn from what they've been through too."

Raised in Colorado, Luke McCaffrey played for his father at Valor Christian High School and was teammates during his first two seasons with his brother Dylan.