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Derek Rivers visits with Denver Broncos ahead of 2017 NFL Draft

By Sayre Bedinger

Mar 4, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Youngstown defensive end Derek Rivers speaks to the media during the 2017 combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Youngstown defensive end Derek Rivers speaks to the media during the 2017 combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Denver Broncos will be in the market for a potential DeMarcus Ware replacement, and Derek Rivers of Youngstown State could be ‘their guy’…

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times. You can never have too many good pass rushers in today’s NFL. With the task now to take down Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, the Denver Broncos need to make sure they are well-equipped for January football, and one way to do that is to have a deep reservoir of pass rushers. That’s why it would make sense for the Broncos to use one of their top picks on a player like Youngstown State’s Derek Rivers…

Rivers, who will be a hot commodity in this year’s draft for any team looking for a pass rusher that gives relentless effort, has been rising up boards a lot since January. I recently wrote about him over at NFLMocks.com:

"So just how high is Rivers ascending on draft boards? At the Youngstown State pro day, Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebackers coach Joey Porter was in attendance. The Steelers pick near the bottom of the first and second round, and unless they plan on trading out of the first entirely or trading up in the second round, they might be willing to use a first rounder on him.There are a number of teams in the first round that need pass rush help, and Rivers is a dynamic talent with elite athleticism. Quarterbacks are obviously the toughest position to find elite players in the draft, but pass rushers sometimes seem to be coming out of the woodwork, and they are just as valuable in today’s NFL.Rivers showed out at the Combine and may have earned himself first round status."

Rivers was also recently the subject of a mock draft by Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks of NFL Network. Picking the ideal fits for AFC West teams, the guys selected Garett Bolles in the first round for the Broncos, and Rivers in the second.

Not a bad haul, even for those who really want Christian McCaffrey or another skill player in round one.

Rivers visiting with the Broncos is certainly notable, but it doesn’t mean he’s going to be the 20th overall pick, or even the 51st overall pick for that matter. The Broncos obviously wanted to get to know this kid better, and figure out if he can be someone to help the team moving forward.

With Shane Ray stepping in for DeMarcus Ware, it would seem the Broncos have a seamless plan in place, but you just never know when injuries will happen, and Shaquil Barrett is also a free agent after this season.

Rivers has some of the best explosiveness of any edge player in this year’s class, and great strength for his size. He would be a very fun pickup for the Denver defense.

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