It is never too early to begin watching prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft. General manager Jason Licht has made the draft the key cog in the machine for the Bucs in terms of roster building and transforming the team itself.
We are going to be covering every position in the draft, but not all of them will be the Bucs’ needs necessarily. But of course, anything is possible for a team, and if not, they will be drafted by a division rival that the Bucs see twice a year.
For this report, we will be discussing a cornerback. The Bucs invested in this position heavily in 2025, specifically in the draft, but roster decisions have this group up for grabs. The 2026 NFL Draft cornerback group is loaded, so they make sense to be targeted once again in some fashion.
With that in mind, here is our report on Duke’s Chandler Rivers.
Information
Chandler Rivers
School: Duke
Conference: ACC
Height/Weight: 5-8 5/8, 184 lbs.
Age when Drafted: 22
Previous Schools: None
Background
Notable Stats and Points from Career
Tackles: 139
Tackles for a Loss and Sacks: 17.5
Interceptions: 7
Pass Breakups: 29
Notable PFF Numbers from 2025
PFF Run Defense Grade: 71.1
PFF Zone Coverage Grade: 74.9
PFF Man Coverage Grade: 73.3
Completion % Allowed: 69.8
NFL QBR When Targeted: 84.1
Penalties: 2
Skills
Player Summary
Chandler Rivers is a fun cornerback prospect who I enjoyed over the Summer, and still really get a kick out of watching play. Rivers thrives in being able to provide support in both the run and pass game. He can be physical in man coverage, and lax just enough to create a false sense of security in zone before jumping routes and breaking up passes or forcing interceptions. What always impresses with him is how, despite his size being a deterrent, he never allows it to stop him from making plays. All in all, Rivers is going to be among my favorite cornerbacks in the 2026 NFL Draft, even if his size holds him back in the eyes of the NFL.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: 2026 NFL Draft scouting report: Chandler Rivers, Cornerback, Duke
Reporting by Andrew Harbaugh, Buccaneers Wire / Bucs Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
