Could Rivers be a starter in waiting for the Giants?
The New York Giants offensive line was much improved in 2024, and it should be fine for the 2025 season.
There are some questions regarding the right side of the line with veteran Greg Van Roten entering free agency, but the Giants have several options available. The long view, however, is less certain and the Giants could be well-served to have talent in the pipeline to develop into a starting guard or tackle.
Miami offensive lineman Jalen Rivers has experience starting at both tackle and guard, though all of it on the left side. He could develop into a starter at either position.
Giants’ offensive coordinator Mike Kafka has already coached Rivers as the head coach of the National Team at the 2025 Senior Bowl.
Prospect: Jalen Rivers (64)
Games Watched: vs. Florida (2024), vs. Louisville (2024), vs. Wake Forest (2024), vs. Syracuse (2024)
Red Flags: Leg – Undisclosed (2024)
Measurables
Height: 6-foot-5 (estimated)
Weight: 325
Strengths
Best traits
- Size
- Foot quickness
- Competitive toughness
- Play strength
- Leverage
Rivers is a big, versatile, and athletic offensive lineman.
He’s a wide-bodied lineman listed at 6-foot-5, 325 pounds with obvious power in his upper and lower body. He also appears to have long arms, which complete a versatile build that allowed him to play both tackle and guard for Miami (though obviously not at the same time).
Rivers has quick feet for a player his size, with impressive body control and spatial awareness. There were multiple instances in the tape viewed where he was able to alter his kick-slide to cover ground while avoiding getting tangled in teammates’ feet – and did so while keeping his eyes up and on the defense. His short, choppy steps keep his feet close to the ground and ready to anchor once he engages a defender. Rivers is athletic enough to match most edge defenders at the collegiate level as well as mirror athletic defenders on the interior. Likewise, he uses his feet well to deal with power and anchor against bullrushes.
Rivers plays with good hip and pad level. There are instances where he allows his pads to rise once engaged or on longer reps, but he usually maintains good leverage throughout the rep.
He is a reliable pass protector who makes an obvious effort to sustain his blocks for as long as possible. He’s also a versatile run blocker who has the athleticism to execute outside zone blocks or pull, as well as enough power to execute inside zone or down hill man-gap blocks.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Hand usage
- Lateral agility
Rivers is a good athlete within his range, however that range also appears somewhat limited. He has quick feet but doesn’t cover much ground in his kick-slide. That can lead to him struggling to mirror speed off the edge, as well as getting back inside if he needs to redirect to deal with B-gap pressure. As a result, Rivers can occasionally lunge or lose leverage if he needs to respond quickly to an athletic rusher on the outside, an unexpected inside move, or a looper.
Rivers also needs to tighten up his technique and hand usage. He has a tendency to carry his hands low and wide, leading to a pronounced wind-up before engaging a defender. He also has a tendency to “catch” defenders as opposed to striking them with his punch. That not only exposes his chest, it makes it more difficult for him to control them without drawing holding penalties. Because his hands often go wide, he tends to be late with his hands, giving defenders more opportunity to win quickly.
Finally, teams will need to do their due diligence on Rivers’ injury from the beginning of the season. The exact nature of the injury is undisclosed as of this writing, though it reportedly appeared to be a leg injury. Teams will need to find out the exact nature of the injury as well as the long-term prognosis.
Game Tape
(Rivers is the Miami left tackle wearing number 64)
Projection
Rivers’ projection will depend heavily on whether he’s viewed as a guard or tackle at the NFL level, and that likely varies for each individual team.
If teams view Rivers as a tackle first, he’s probably viewed as more of a developmental prospect or possibly career backup. He has many of the tools to succeed on the edge, but his range and redirection ability in pass protection are issues. That likely also influences his hand usage, which itself is a weakness and could draw penalties.
It’s possible those issues could get ironed out with coaching and he could have starting upside after a year or so.
Other teams could see a higher ceiling at guard for Rivers. Rivers would be a very athletic guard with great feet for the position, though he’d have to be consistently careful with his leverage and hand placement to maximize his play strength. Those teams might even place an early Day 2 grade on him if they believe he can transition to NFL guard quickly.
Does he fit the Giants?
Yes
Final Word: A Day 2 value
