Versatility Key to Rivers' Draft Goals

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – For years, he has been one of the anchors on Miami’s offensive line.

At 6-foot-6 and 319 pounds, Jalen Rivers was a physical force. He was a vocal leader in the room, too, his experience and knowledge providing a steady, reliable presence that help set the tone for one of the Hurricanes’ most productive units.

But earlier this month at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, another aspect of Rivers’ game had league reporters, scouts and analysts talking: his versatility.

Rivers, who earned both second-team All-ACC and All-ACC honorable mention recognition during his five years as a Hurricane, started 21 games at left tackle during his last two seasons at Miami.

Still, any time his coaches asked him to shift and play another spot on the line, he did so – willingly and effectively.

Now, with the Combine behind him, Miami’s Pro Day looming Monday and next month’s NFL Draft quickly approaching, Rivers is hoping his ability to line up wherever he’s needed will help make his dream of playing in the NFL a reality.

“I give that credit to [Miami associate head coach and offensive line coach Alex] Mirabal. He always preaches, always says, ‘You’re not an offensive tackle, or center, or guard. You’re an offensive lineman,’” the Jacksonville native said while in Indianapolis. “So, I pride myself going through this process as an offensive lineman. I can go from left tackle to the right side to center even, if you put me in. I feel like it adds value, if anything.”

The coach who helped him learn how to cross-train effectively, agrees and is confident that whatever NFL team calls on Rivers in the draft won’t be disappointed.

“I think his film sells him and I think his versatility shows how mature he is,” Mirabal said. “I think his versatility shows how intelligent he is. I think his versatility shows how unselfish he is. He’s always a guy who’s always put the team first and he’s a guy that just wants an opportunity. … Those are the kind of kids that you want to see get drafted earlier than other people think. … He deserves that.”

For Mirabal and Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal – a former two-time national champion offensive lineman during his own playing days at Miami – cross-training all of Miami’s offensive linemen is a priority.

It’s a philosophy the coaches developed while working together at Oregon, where the Ducks became a Pac-12 power and offensive linemen Penei Sewell, T.J. Bass, Shane Lemieux, and Calvin Throckmorton earned All-American recognition before moving on to the NFL.

And it’s seemingly begun paying dividends at Miami where this season, the Hurricanes had the nation’s top-ranked offense, averaging 537.2 yards per game.

“It’s rare. I don’t think a lot of guys ask guys to do that, but here at Miami, it’s the standard,” Mirabal said. “Coach Cristobal … at Oregon and at Miami, he’s always insisted that we cross-train our players at every position. … So, let’s say we’re doing five or six individual drills, we do every drill twice. Everybody does it in a right-handed stance and then everybody does it in a left-handed stance. It’s not foreign to them.

“With someone like Jalen, everybody’s like, ‘Oh, was it hard for him to go from left tackle to left guard and then back to left tackle every other series during games this year?’ and I said no, because that’s how we did it in practice. It just becomes second nature. … We never made it a big deal. We just made it part of who we are. It’s part of our process and now, hopefully, he can benefit from it.”

Rivers concedes he was initially hesitant when asked to cross-train multiple positions, particularly when he was called on to move to center.

But the work in practice made a difference and eventually, shifting positions – and even switching sides on the line – became routine.

“Playing in a game, or in a practice, you’ve got to flip everything in your head,” Rivers said. “Even right now, with training, you’ve got to flip in your stance. It’s kind of odd to some people because they’re so used to playing that one side.  When you go to the other side, it’s like, ‘Okay, I’ve got to go in my stance, put this right leg back.’ I mean, it’s a little bit different, but when you get the hang of it, it starts coming naturally. …

“You have to have the willingness to do it. Sometimes, a lot of guys are not willing to be a guy that plays all five positions and be versatile. I’m just going to attack it. I’m going to do it. So, you have to be open to it. I was a little bit skeptical going to center a little bit when I first started because I was not comfortable at it at all. But when you get used to it and accept that coaching and you’re willing to get better, it’s going to help you overall to learn all five positions.”

On Monday, Rivers and the rest of his draft-eligible Miami teammates will find themselves back in the spotlight when the Hurricanes host their annual Pro Day.

While quarterback Cam Ward – who some analysts project to be the draft’s top overall pick in April – will command a lion’s share of the attention, there’s no doubt Rivers and the entire Hurricanes program will have a chance to shine – and show just how much they’ve grown.

That’s something Rivers couldn’t help but smile about while in Indianapolis with Ward, receivers Xavier Restrepo, Jacolby George, and Sam Brown Jr., tight end Elijah Arroyo, running back Damien Martinez, kicker Andy Borregales, linebacker Francisco Mauigoa and defensive lineman Tyler Baron.

“This is a special group and we’re here for a reason,” Rivers said. “This [validates] all the work we’ve been putting in for the past – for me, five years – and for a lot of the guys, four and even three [years]. It goes to show that the process we went through, just working every day, it will get you to this position where we are at now.”

Said Cristobal, of Monday’s upcoming Pro Day, “Pro Day will now look like what Pro Day has looked like at Miami for a lot of years, a lot of decades, right? When Miami was running at the highest level, we were winning in April at the highest level and that’s tied into what you do throughout the course of your recruiting classes, the development that they have while they’re here with you. … I think it’s a big statement for a lot of reasons. It’s progress. It’s more and more progress. It’s a sign of what’s going on inside the building in terms of development and talent acquisition. … It’s going to be a fun day, and I think the guys are going to do really well. They’ve been working their tails off.”