#83 pick--Derek Rivers EDGE Youngstown State

[RedOctober3829]

Derek Rivers EDGE Youngstown State
6'4" 248 lbs
4.6 40
35" vertical
6.94 3-cone drill

What he does best:

• One of the top athletes in the entire class. Fantastic burst off the line of scrimmage when he gets an obvious pass situation.
• Almost never came off the field for Youngstown State. Played 79 of 83 snaps against West Virginia and all 58 snaps against Eastern Washington.
• Plays with great leverage against the run and as a bull-rusher. Sinks his hips and keeps arms locked out.
• Extremely disciplined against the run. Carried out his assignments almost to a fault at times.
• Has the ability to drop off the line of scrimmage and play in space if need be.

Biggest concern:

• Level of competition is a serious concern. Wasn’t nearly as productive in Senior Bowl practices as he was at Youngstown St.
• A good deal of pass rushes with no real plan of attack. Runs straight at tackle and engages.
• Too often content ceding ground in the run game. Will lock into the block and almost refuse to make plays outside of his gap.
• Mostly a one-hit pass-rusher. If his initial move is stoned, he has little else in his toolbox.

Player comparison: William Hayes, Miami Dolphins

Rivers loves to counter a lot of his rushes off the bull much like Hayes. The best quality from each is their ability to consistently play with leverage. It took Hayes a while to come into his own which could similarly be the case with Rivers.

Bottom line: There will be one word that follows Rivers around the draft cycle and it’s “upside.” His athletic traits will intrigue every defensive coordinator in the league meaning he won’t last terribly long come draft time. He’s still much more projection than finished product at this point though. If Rivers can improve his down to down consistency, he’ll be a starter in the NFL.

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

Nicknamed "Bloody".

 

[DJnVa]

Ben Volin‏Verified account @BenVolin
ESPN’s Louis Riddick on new Patriots DE Derek Rivers: “He’s a multi-positional player, a hybrid player.” You don’t say

 

[DJnVa]

Here's the kid's twitter: https://twitter.com/D_Rivers11

 

[kelpapa]

Here's the kid's twitter: https://twitter.com/D_Rivers11

How much do these guys make advertising on Twitter? That's all he's posted lately.

 

[GammonsSpecialPerson]

Mayock noted that he "can line up at inside linebacker on first down and then kick down on third" which sounds ... intriguing? Obviously a project, but an exciting one.

 

[Ale Xander]

Plays all 3 downs
Non p5 players are the market inefficiency

 

[E5 Yaz]

Here's the kid's twitter: https://twitter.com/D_Rivers11

That Penguin logo is fierce

 

[Section15Box113]

That Penguin logo is fierce

A lot of good qualities on display in that feed, whether loyalty (supporting other college and HS teammates, other Youngstown athletes), charity (raising $$ for good causes), humility/respect (thanks to God, respectful tweet to coach), etc. I see the cultural fit. Now here's hoping he can play at the next level.

Plus, those cheesesteaks made my mouth water...

 

[tims4wins]

Nink replacement. Love it

 

[Jed Zeppelin]

We all know the deal with edge rushers come draft day—they disappear quickly (too quickly when you are constantly drafting in Super Bowl range). I know nothing about the player, but if you're going to try to add a pass rusher to a stacked team at this point in the draft, going the elite athlete/upside/untapped potential route seems like the way to do it. Might as well try to hit a home run on a guy you can afford to spend some time molding. Garcia seems like the same kind of deal.

 

[RetractableRoof]

We all know the deal with edge rushers come draft day—they disappear quickly (too quickly when you are constantly drafting in Super Bowl range). I know nothing about the player, but if you're going to try to add a pass rusher to a stacked team at this point in the draft, going the elite athlete/upside/untapped potential route seems like the way to do it. Might as well try to hit a home run on a guy you can afford to spend some time molding. Garcia seems like the same kind of deal.

Agreed, this (and injury slides) were the types of picks I expected from the Pats. I'm not able to name players, but this looks like what I was hoping for.

 

[WayneHousieHOF]

Sidenote: His mother, Mary, is originally from Maine and graduated from Cony High in Augusta. So did an aunt and an uncle.
In fact, his grandparents still live in Maine - in Newcastle I believe.

 

[pappymojo]

Derek Rivers EDGE Youngstown State
6'4" 248 lbs
4.6 40
35" vertical
6.94 3-cone drill

What he does best:

• One of the top athletes in the entire class. Fantastic burst off the line of scrimmage when he gets an obvious pass situation.
• Almost never came off the field for Youngstown State. Played 79 of 83 snaps against West Virginia and all 58 snaps against Eastern Washington.
• Plays with great leverage against the run and as a bull-rusher. Sinks his hips and keeps arms locked out.
• Extremely disciplined against the run. Carried out his assignments almost to a fault at times.
• Has the ability to drop off the line of scrimmage and play in space if need be.

Biggest concern:

• Level of competition is a serious concern. Wasn’t nearly as productive in Senior Bowl practices as he was at Youngstown St.
• A good deal of pass rushes with no real plan of attack. Runs straight at tackle and engages.
• Too often content ceding ground in the run game. Will lock into the block and almost refuse to make plays outside of his gap.
• Mostly a one-hit pass-rusher. If his initial move is stoned, he has little else in his toolbox.

Player comparison: William Hayes, Miami Dolphins

Rivers loves to counter a lot of his rushes off the bull much like Hayes. The best quality from each is their ability to consistently play with leverage. It took Hayes a while to come into his own which could similarly be the case with Rivers.

Bottom line: There will be one word that follows Rivers around the draft cycle and it’s “upside.” His athletic traits will intrigue every defensive coordinator in the league meaning he won’t last terribly long come draft time. He’s still much more projection than finished product at this point though. If Rivers can improve his down to down consistency, he’ll be a starter in the NFL.

God that video with the strobe effect and club music.