An undrafted Kentucky linebacker whose 4.57-second 40 helped him earn a rookie shot with the Falcons.
Daveren Rayner played out his college career at Kentucky and went unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft, but Atlanta liked enough of what it saw to sign him as an undrafted free agent. He now joins a young Falcons linebacker room fighting for a roster spot.
Path to the league
Rayner, a 6-foot-2, 217-pound linebacker from Indianapolis, Indiana, played his college football at Kentucky. He went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft and signed with the Atlanta Falcons afterward, taking uniform number 42.
Career highlights
At his pro day, Rayner ran a 4.57-second 40-yard dash to go with a 4.41 short shuttle, a 7.13 three-cone time, a 33-inch vertical jump and a 127-inch broad jump, numbers that reflect the sideline-to-sideline range teams look for in an off-ball linebacker.
2025 season recap
Rayner closed out his time at Kentucky in the 2025 season as part of the Wildcats' linebacker rotation before turning his attention to the pre-draft process and signing with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent.
Sources
- ESPN: Daveren Rayner
- Ourlads: Daveren Rayner
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Linebacker
- Group
- defense
- College
- Kentucky
- Hometown
- Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Age
- 24
- Status
- active
