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Keith Rivers #58 | Linebacker | Cincinnati Bengals
Height: 6-2    Weight: 241    Born: , Lake Mary, FL

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Player Notes
May 15, 2008
Rookie Keith Rivers could start at weak-side linebacker this season, according to the Dayton Daily News, who are already projecting him for the job.

Our View:Rivers is a great athlete who flies around the field to make plays. He excels at defending the run and will also provide a presence as a blitzer on passing downs. If he holds on to start as a rookie, he would make a solid impact as an IDP.
May 5, 2008
First-round draft pick Keith Rivers, a linebacker from Southern Cal, worked on the weak-side position - which he played in college - and impressed coaches with his fluid play and work ethic during the Cincinnati Bengals’ three-day (five practice) rookie minicamp this past weekend, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Coaches were impressed, too, with Rivers' natural leadership and ability to call his position players together. "He showed things that are innate," Lewis said. "Every time he was not in a meeting, he was upstairs watching tape on his own. He already gets it."

Our View:Rivers is penciled in to start on the weak-side, and possesses the sideline-to-sideline athletic ability to make an impact in the IDP world in 2008.
May 2, 2008
The Cincinnati Bengals are likely to give first-round pick Keith Rivers looks at both weak-side and middle linebacker, according to Pro Football Weekly. Rivers’ high skill level, strong character and advanced football intelligence have the Bengals thinking big things; the hope is that Rivers’ learning curve is accelerated because of these factors.

Our View:Rivers started on the weak side at USC, leading us to believe he will at least start out on the weak side as a professional. With the latest arrest of Ahmad Brooks and the uncertainty of the contributions of Odell Thurman, nothing is set in stone at this point.
April 26, 2008
The Cincinnati Bengals selected USC linebacker Keith Rivers with the ninth overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Our View:Cincinnati really wanted another Trojan, Sedrick Ellis, but settled for Rivers after the Saints moved in front of them in the trade with New England. The Bengals linebacker corps was decimated by injuries last year, and Rivers possesses the athleticism to be a three down backer in Cincinnati.
April 3, 2008
Keith Rivers quickly made sure the USC Pro Day was every bit the athletic spectacle scouts expected, according to FOX Sports. Rivers kicked off the morning wowing scouts with a 42-inch vertical jump — a full 8 inches better than any outside linebacker recorded at the combine in February — and a 10' 7" broad jump that also topped any other linebacker tested in Indianapolis. Rivers' efforts weren't limited to leaping, as he also impressed scouts with a 4.51 in the 40-yard dash. Rivers, who didn't work out at the combine due to an ankle injury, is viewed by many as the top linebacker of the 2008 class, and could make an impact in his rookie season, if he is drafted into the right situation.