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What They're Saying: NFL Draft
4/27/2026 7:06:00 AM | Football
DURHAM, N.C. – With the 2026 NFL Draft and undrafted free agent signings complete, Duke football has sent its next wave of Blue Devils into the league.Â
For the third time since 2021, Duke had three draft picks in the same year. It marked the 27th time in program history with three or more selections. Drafted Blue Devils were:Â
- Wesley Williams: 119th overall pick, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Chandler Rivers: 162nd overall pick, Baltimore Ravens
- Brian Parker II: 189th overall pick, Cincinnati Bengals
Duke also had a plethora of undrafted free agent signings with:Â
- Andrel Anthony: Atlanta Falcons
- Vincent Anthony Jr.: Kansas City Chiefs
- Anderson Castle: Indianapolis Colts
- Bruno Fina: Buffalo Bills
- Josiah Green: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Sahmir Hagans: Indianapolis Colts
- Aaron Hall: Carolina Panthers
- Justin Pickett: Las Vegas Raiders
In addition, Caleb Weaver was invited to the New York Jets minicamp and Jaiden Francois to the Philadelphia Eagles minicamp.Â
Below are some of the highlighted comments from the NFL organizations or media outlets around the country who reacted to the newest former Blue Devils in the league.
J.P. Shadrick, Jaguars Senior Reporter/Editor
"They talk about competition all the time in that draft room. This is competition. This is depth. This is size. This is quickness and obviously intellect."
John Oehser, Jaguars Senior Writer
"Williams also excelled on special teams collegiately, blocking five total kicks – including two field goals in one game in 2023."
"Love his play style, he's a super physical kid."
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) April 25, 2026
Coach Campanile on Duke DE Wesley Williams' versatility & more. @Dream_Finders | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/omavQmBDhA
The Athletic Football Show
"Chandler Rivers landing in Baltimore is one of my favorite picks of the day."
Clifton Brown, BaltimoreRavens.com Staff Writer
"A 39-inch vertical leap allows Rivers to compete for contested catches, and he showed excellent technique when the ball was in the air."
Connor Burke, Ebony Bird
"Rivers is an absolute steal. He was ranked 86th overall on Arif Hasan's consensus big board, which ranks prospects based on 134 draft analysts' rankings. Drafting him at No. 162? I'd say that's pretty good."
Rob Rang, FoxSports
"My favorite late-round pick for Baltimore, however, was fifth-round cornerback Chandler Rivers, a four-year starter at Duke who plays much bigger than his size suggests (5-9, 185)."
Josh Edwards, CBS Sports
"The Ravens needed some young depth at cornerback, and Rivers was a good value here."
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN.com
"One more to call out: Chandler Rivers is a tough slot corner at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, and he brings 4.4 speed."
Jordan Reid and Matt Miller, ESPN.com
"I also love the additions of CB Chandler Rivers and RB Adam Randall as depth players to round out their roster."
The Ravens just got a pitbull of a nickel in Chandler Rivers. One of my favorite watches this year, pound for pound. pic.twitter.com/0zGcC0Qde2
— Jonah Tuls (@JonahTuls) April 25, 2026
Josh Edwards, CBS Sports
"Parker has some versatility, so the fact Cincinnati took center, Connor Lew, earlier is not a problem. Parker is just a good value in the sixth round. Savvy pick by the Bengals."
Jacob Camenker and Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA Today
"He worked out at center during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine and should have the strong hands and grip strength needed to hold up against opposing defensive tackles."
Landon Belote, Cincinnati Bengals on SI
"Cincinnati landed a major big-board value with Parker and brought home a Cincy native in one pick."
Rob Rang, FoxSportsReacting to the Bengals drafting OL Brian Parker. pic.twitter.com/gzUGFDxwxX
— Charlie Goldsmith (@CharlieG__) April 25, 2026
"Similarly, the Bengals grabbed their future starting center in Connor Lew in the fourth round and made sure that the pivot is secure with Brian Parker II two rounds later. The double-dip at center will be panned by some but not me — protecting Joe Burrow is priority No. 1, and both players are quality prospects."Â
John Sheeran, A to Z Sports
"The Bengals have not drafted a Day 3 offensive lineman as good as Brian Parker II since Clint Boling in 2011."
Chris Roling, Bengals Wire
"Based on the pre-draft rumblings, Parker is one heck of a shot, too."
"He [Parker] earned an 83.9 run-blocking grade alongside an 83.4 pass-blocking grade in 2025, which reflects balanced production across both phases."
For more information on Duke Football, follow the Blue Devils on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching "DukeFOOTBALL".
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