New England Patriots 2018: Derek Rivers has the skills to bring it off the edge
New England Patriots 2017 third-round pick Derek Rivers is healthy and ready to make an impact off the edge in 2018.
With the pass rush considered a team weakness heading into training camp, New England Patriots second-year defensive end Derek Rivers should help bring pressure off the edge in his official first year in the NFL.
Of course, that all depends on how strong Rivers is after missing his entire rookie year with a torn ACL injury. Physically, the team’s top pick in the 2017 NFL draft will need time to completely regain his strength and feed. Mentally, however, Rivers is ready to compete and probably even more prepared to contribute in 2019.
Despite being taken in the third round, Rivers entered his rookie season with high expectations after finishing his senior year at Youngstown State with 58 tackles and 14 sacks. In fact, he set a school record with 41 sacks in his four-year career.
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Youngstown State is not exactly Ohio State, but no one can deny Rivers’ ability to get to the quarterback. After sitting on the sidelines learning the defense for a year, the mental aspect of his skillset may be what leads him to excel with the Patriots.
"“I was able to learn the defense,” Rivers told reporters during organized team activities back in May. “And I wasn’t away from the building, so I could do everything except be here on the field.”"
Heading into training camp and what will equate to his first season in the NFL, Derek Rivers appears to have the mindset to strive. At 6-foot-5, 249 pounds, he also has the physical attributes to be a presence off the edge.
While listening to the coaches and mastering the defensive playbook is the approach Rivers is taking to get better, learning from the experiences of both Trey Flowers and Deatrich Wise Jr. in their first seasons in the NFL will also help him make an easier transition to the NFL.
Like Flowers, Rivers hopes to benefit from a rookie season in which he basically learned from the sidelines. The New England Patriots hope he makes a similar jump as far as making an impact on the field in his second season just like Flowers did.
What to expect?
Coming off the ACL injury, the team will definitely take a cautious approach when it comes to the amount of snaps Derek Rivers gets on the field towards the beginning of the season.
As far as where he will fit in, I expect the Patriots to take the same “trial and error” approach they took prior to his rookie season.
"“Derek’s long, he runs well, he’s athletic, he’s got good quickness, good explosion,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said prior to training camp in 2017. “We’ve done that with a lot of players, especially younger players, putting them in multiple positions and see how they fit best in our scheme with different packages they might have value in or how we could use them in different roles, depending on what our needs are that particular week or in that particular grouping of people.”"
Labeled as a hard worker, Rivers shouldn’t have a problem adapting in whatever role the team needs. Thrown in the mix with Flowers, Wise and veteran defensive end Adrian Clayborn, the second-year defensive end will have time to ease into a role.
Hopefully, once that explosiveness is at full strength, he will help bolster the New England Patriots pass rush into a more consistent force. By the end of the 2018 season, don’t be surprised if Derek Rivers is one of the team’s more reliable defensive players.
Next: New England Patriots 2018: No pressure on Sony Michel in his first season
We all know hard work pays off in New England. And Rivers has the work ethic as well as the skills and mindset to excel in Belichick’s system.