The Ravens selected cornerback Chandler Rivers of Duke in Round 5 (No. 162) and addressed a position they value greatly.
Here are five things to know about Rivers:
Rivers adds depth to the cornerback rotation.
Nate Wiggins, Marlon Humphrey, and Chidobe Awuzie lead Baltimore's cornerback room entering the 2026 season, but the roles beyond those top three are undecided.
Rivers will have a chance to carve out a place in the rotation, particularly as a slot corner. He was named Duke's Rookie of the Year in 2022 and played regularly as a freshman. He hopes to make a similar immediate impact in Baltimore.
Baltimore has selected at least one cornerback in 11 of the last 12 drafts. With Humphrey and Awuzie both entering their 10th seasons, the Ravens wouldn't mind getting younger and deeper at the position, and Rivers will have a chance to continue that process.
T.J. Tampa, Keyon Martin, Robert Longerbeam, and Bilal Kone are among the other young corners on the roster. Kone and Longerbeam are coming off injuries that short-circuited their rookie seasons early.
The competition for playing time and roster spots will be intense, and Rivers will have a chance to make a strong first impression on the new coaching staff.
He has a couple of Duke connections in Baltimore.
Rivers will be reunited with Ravens second-year defensive tackle Aeneas Pebbles, who was Rivers' teammate for three years at Duke.
Another familiar face for Rivers will be new Outside Linebackers Coach Harland Bower, who joined Baltimore's staff after spending four years at Duke.
He plays bigger than his size.
Listed at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, Rivers is projected by many to be a slot cornerback, but he played both outside and in the slot at Duke.
A 39-inch vertical leap allows Rivers to compete for contested catches, and he showed excellent technique when the ball was in the air.
He was also a sure tackler in run support and made 223 tackles during his college career. He blew up teams' screen attempts in college, notching 11 tackles for loss.
Rivers was a playmaker at Duke with seven career interceptions.
Cornerbacks don't always have reliable hands, but Rivers took advantage of opportunities to make picks and was a playmaker on the ball.
The Ravens hope to force more turnovers in 2026 under Defensive Coordinator Anthony Weaver, and Rivers is an aggressive corner who likes to read the eyes of cornerbacks and is not afraid to jump routes.
Over his final two seasons, Rivers broke up 16 passes and made seven career interceptions.
Rivers didn't miss a game at Duke due to injury.
Cornerback is a demanding position physically, but Rivers didn't miss a game due to injury while in college and played 3,588 snaps. He started every game (39) over the past three seasons, and he is still only 22 years old.
If Rivers shows similar durability in the NFL, it will only increase his chances to make an immediate impact.
