Chandler Rivers, CB
School: Duke | Conference: ACC
College Experience: Senior | Age: 22
Height / Weight: 5’9.5” / 188 lbs
Projected Draft Status:
Player Comparison: Mike Sainristil
College Statistics
| Tackles | Def Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Solo | Ast | Comb | TFL | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | IntTD | PD | FR | Yds | FRTD | FF | Awards |
| 2022* | Duke | ACC | FR | DB | 13 | 33 | 19 | 52 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2023* | Duke | ACC | SO | DB | 13 | 39 | 19 | 58 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024* | Duke | ACC | JR | CB | 13 | 30 | 24 | 54 | 7.5 | 1.0 | 3 | 36 | 12.0 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2025* | Duke | ACC | SR | CB | 13 | 37 | 22 | 59 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Career | 52 | 139 | 84 | 223 | 16.0 | 1.5 | 7 | 49 | 7.0 | 2 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |||||
Player Overview
In high school, Chandler Rivers’ athleticism allowed him to excel in several sports. The Beaumont, Texas, native won a Texas state basketball title in 2021. On the track he was second in the state in the long jump. On the football field, Rivers’ played receiver and cornerback. His over 300 tackles and 25
interceptions made him a three-star prospect with offers from dozens of schools like Tennessee, Ole Miss, Utah, and Colorado. Ultimately, Rivers chose to play for Duke and their head coach, Mike Elko.
It took no time for Rivers to see the field and make an impact. He won Duke’s rookie of the year award after playing in every game and starting six games to end the season. Cemented as a starter as a sophomore, Rivers capped his season by being named MVP of the Birmingham Bowl after two tackles for loss and three PBUs. Coach Mike Elko moved on to Texas A&M prior to Rivers’ junior season, but that didn’t seem to negatively impact him. His play during his junior year earned him team MVP, First Team All-ACC, and All-American recognition from numerous publications. Off the field, he was named Academic All-ACC. In his senior year, the Blue Devils won the ACC Championship. Rivers led the team in interceptions and was named Second-Team All-ACC and the Blue Devils’ skill player of the year. Rivers 3,408 career snaps helped Duke to a 35-18 record over his four seasons in Durham, North Carolina.
Strengths
- Instincts and preparation show up in play recognition
- Zone coverage understanding and awareness is high-level
- Excellent short-area quickness, especially when closing on receivers
- Leaping ability helps to make up for size deficiencies
- Seven career INTs and 29 passes defended are evidence of his ball skills
- Aggressive fighting to get off blocks; can be an asset around the line of scrimmage
Weaknesses
- Less than ideal height and arm length for an NFL DB
- Measurables might prevent him from playing much press man
- Can have trouble finding the ball if he has to turn his back to QB
- Lack of length results in missed tackles
Let’s See His Work
(via nfl.com/iq)
How He Fits on the Commanders
The Commanders are not done remaking their secondary, most recently adding Ahkello Witherspoon to a group that includes Trey Amos, Mike Sainristil, and fellow free agent signee Amik Robertson. Sainristil and Robertson are both smaller cornerbacks that have some position versatility. Both project to be starters right now, so the Commanders could use the draft to find a corner that offers similar versatility to these players to provide depth.
Am I trolling by suggesting the Commanders could select another cornerback under 5’10”? Maybe. The thing is Chandler Rivers is a talented cornerback that should perform well on a defense that relies heavily on zone coverage. While he played on the outside in college, I think he will play primarily in the slot in the NFL. Being undersized means he will have some limitations, but his coverage ability and competitiveness should make him a valuable player in a NFL secondary. However, the Commanders may see him as so similar to players currently on the roster that they go in another direction at the position. That may be the case considering the Commanders have visits scheduled with Mansoor Delane and Daylen Everette, cornerback prospects closer to prototypical size. But if the Commanders find themselves on Day 3 of the draft with cornerback unaddressed and Chandler Rivers is available, he should get some consideration as a rotational player.
