Ravens select Duke CB Chandler Rivers at pick No. 162

The Baltimore Ravens added depth to their defense on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting cornerback Chandler Rivers with the No. 162 overall pick. Rivers brings experience and competitiveness from his time at Duke, where he developed into a reliable presence in the secondary. Rivers is a two-time All-ACC honoree, earning a first-team selection in 2024 and a second-team selection in 2025. He helped Duke achieve a program record 35 wins over four seasons, with four bowl game appearances: the 2022 Military Bowl, the 2023 76 Birmingham Bowl, the 2024 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, and the 2025 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.

Rivers is known for his quickness, instincts, and ability to mirror receivers in coverage, traits that fit well within Baltimore's defensive system. His versatility gives the coaching staff options in how they deploy him, whether on the outside or in sub-packages, and he could quickly carve out a role on special teams.

He contributed to three bowl victories and played a key role in Duke's first ACC championship since 1962. Over his 39-game career, including 32 starts, Rivers registered 223 tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss (TFL), 1.5 sacks, seven interceptions (INTs), three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, 29 pass breakups (PBUs), seven quarterback pressures, and one blocked kick. He finished eighth on Duke's all-time record chart for pass breakups.

For the Ravens, this selection is about continuing to build depth in a secondary that values flexibility and physical play. With Rivers added to the mix, Baltimore strengthens a unit that thrives on matchup versatility and competition, giving the defense another young piece to develop.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Ravens boost secondary with Chandler Rivers in Round 5