Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Watch: Youngstown State EDGE Derek Rivers

Scouting Report for Steelers Draft target, Youngstown State EDGE Derek Rivers.

Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

I think it’s fair to assume that acquiring some young EDGE talent is the biggest priority for the Steelers Draft class.

James Harrison, while still producing at an admirably high level, is nearing retirement. Jarvis Jones is expected to sign elsewhere in free agency, and the hopes of him ever reaching his 1st round potential are long gone.

Therefore, finding an impact EDGE rusher to pair with Bud Dupree is integral to this young defense’s future.

One name to watch may be a small school prospect at nearby Youngstown State, Derek Rivers.

EDGE Derek Rivers, Youngstown State

Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Strengths

Weaknesses

Highlight

Player Analysis

The tools are all there on River’s tape, but would you feel comfortable banging the table for a player who didn’t play against a high level competition? My answer would be yes, but the more important question (obviously) is what Pittsburgh feels.

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Rivers is potentially a Round 1 talent that could be had on Day 2 of the Draft, similar to Pittsburgh’s selection of Javon Hargrave in the 3rd Round in 2016. Just by watching a few games of River’s tape you can clearly see the NFL traits jump off the screen.

First of all, Rivers possesses an explosive get off and then shows the ability to bend and flatten his path to the QB at the top of his arc. He routinely finishes with a violent closing burst and simply overmatches Missouri Valley Conference OL with his size, speed, and strength.

Where Rivers needs to improve is dropping his pad level and gaining better leverage at the point of attack. Rivers is largely inconsistent in the run game, and while he flashes the ability to set the edge and hold ground, he is too often blown off his mark because of his leverage issues. Dropping his pad level will also have a trickle down effect on the rest of his game, even adding more strength to his already impressive bull rush.

Team Fit

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How do you think Kevin Colbert and the Steeler’s Scouting Staff will view River’s absolute domination of inferior competition on tape?

I for one believe they will take a similar approach to how they rated Javon Hargrave. Despite the inflated production, Rivers has a legitimate NFL skill set that would allow him to win against higher levels of competition. Just look to his dominant week at Senior Bowl practices as proof. At Mobile, he quickly separated himself as one of the best EDGE rushers during that week of practice.

In terms of team fit, Rivers is an easy projection to play as a 3-4 OLB if drafted by the Steelers. His ability to win the EDGE as a stand up rusher will greatly appeal to Pittsburgh.

Additionally, his blend of athleticism and strength will greatly compliment Bud Dupree off the edge. Despite several areas of needed improvement to his game, Rivers has all the natural talents that will make NFL positional coaches salivate. That is why I believe that Pittsburgh will have interest in Rivers, as he has the same size/strength/speed combination that attracted them to Dupree. Moreover, I would even argue that Rivers has more refined pass rushing abilities at this point than Dupree had coming out of Kentucky.

To sum it up, Rivers is an ideal EDGE prospect for Pittsburgh to target on Day 2. Moreover, despite the concerns over strength of competition, it wouldn’t shock me to see Rivers name scroll across the screen at pick #30. He’s everything you want out of an EDGE rusher, so why not take the risk?