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New England Patriots: Derek Rivers learned a lot despite injury

By Nick Ziegler

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 05: Defensive lineman Derek Rivers of Youngstown State participates in a drill during day five of the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 5, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 05: Defensive lineman Derek Rivers of Youngstown State participates in a drill during day five of the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 5, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Derek Rivers of the New England Patriots missed his entire rookie season because of a torn ACL. However, he believes he is a better player after sitting out a year.

Injuries were an all too common thing for the New England Patriots last season, as they saw multiple key players lost because of them. One of those players that missed the season was edge rusher Derek Rivers.

Rivers was one of the few Patriots draft picks in 2017, as they selected him in the third round from Youngstown State. Early on in the summer, Rivers looked like he was going to be able to contributor for New England right away.

After Rob Ninkovich retired, Rivers was the likely candidate to take most of his reps. Unfortunately, in a joint practice with the Houston Texans, Rivers suffered a torn ACL on a kickoff. The injury, of course, cost him his rookie season.

However, Rivers has gone through the rehab process and was able to learn a lot from being around the team and in all the meetings. Recently, Rivers talked about how he attacked last season despite not being able to play. Here’s what he said to Bernd Buchmasser of PatsPulpit.com.

"“I was able to learn the defense,” Rivers said. “And I wasn’t away from the building, so I could do everything except be here on the field.”"

Seeing Rivers make the most out of the injury is certainly a good thing. Learning a system in the NFL is not an easy thing for most rookies, but Rivers was able to focus on the playbook and improve in that area.

Now, he will be able to get back on the field and hopefully put together a strong season for the Patriots. Rushing the passer was certainly an area of need for the Patriots last season, and Rivers should be able to help with that.

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As the summer rolls on, Rivers will certainly be a player to watch for the Patriots. Prior to getting hurt, Rivers looked like he was on his way to being a solid contributor for New England. Hopefully, that will be the case in 2018.

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