For the past three seasons, Jalen Rivers provided a steady presence on the Miami Hurricanes’ offensive line, no matter where the coaches wanted him to play.

Now Miami’s versatile veteran is headed to the NFL. The Cincinnati Bengals selected Rivers in the fifth round of the draft with the 153rd pick of the draft on Saturday.

“I dreamed of this since when I was young when I first started playing football at seven (years old),” Rivers said at UM’s Pro Day.

Rivers was a touted prospect, earning a four-star ranking from 247Sports’s composite rankings when he was leaving Orange Park Oakleaf High in 2020. He played sparingly on offense in his freshman year but was poised to be Miami’s starting left guard in 2021. But three games into his second season, Rivers suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Healthy again in 2022, Rivers took over as the starting left guard on Mario Cristobal’s first UM squad. He dealt with injuries again but played 631 snaps, earning a 60.6 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus.

Rivers shuttled over to left tackle in 2023 and had his best college season. He stayed healthy for the whole year and notched a 74.1 offensive grade with a 73.5 pass-blocking grade and a 70.2 run-blocking grade. Rivers was picked as an All-ACC second-team lineman.

Rivers started his final college year as Miami’s left tackle, but he suffered an early-season injury. Markel Bell took over at left tackle, and when Rivers returned, he moved between left tackle and left guard. He played 583 offensive snaps and had a 70.7 offensive grade with a 78.8 pass-blocking grade and a 65.8 run-blocking grade. Although he played in eight games, he still was named an All-ACC honorable mention.

Rivers said his versatility is a strength, making him an option for more teams.

“One thing about me is I’m good at showing my versatility,” Rivers said. “Some teams may see me as a tackle. Some teams may see me as a swing tackle, playing guard. Some teams love that I can snap the ball, too. You never know. Teams see me at everywhere around the line.”