Daveren Rayner
Career Summary
Daveren Rayner is a linebacker who played at Northern Illinois and Kentucky.
He signed with the Atlanta Falcons after a 2026 rookie-minicamp tryout and later joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
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Early Life
Rayner was born in Indianapolis, Indiana.
He is the son of Dara Patterson and Averen Rayner and studied sociology at Kentucky.
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High School
Rayner attended Lawrence Central High School.
He earned All-Marion County and all-conference recognition and recorded 118 tackles in 2019. He also competed as a hurdler on the track team.
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College Career
Rayner transferred from Northern Illinois to Kentucky in 2023.
His final Kentucky season in 2025 included 12 starts, 69 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions. Kentucky credits him with 239 career tackles across the two programs.
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Path to the NFL
Rayner earned a Falcons contract through a minicamp tryout.
Atlanta signed him on May 11, 2026, following rookie minicamp. He was the sole rookie among four tryout players who received contracts.
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NFL Career
Rayner spent the 2026 preseason with Atlanta.
The Falcons listed him among their waived players when announcing their initial roster in August. Hamilton signed him on September 14, 2026.
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Career Accomplishments
Rayner earned SEC weekly recognition during his final college season.
His performance against Florida in 2025 earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
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32373, 00-0041409, 3/13/2002, Daveren Rayner, Daveren, Rayner
MFT PLAYER RANKINGS
Current player ranking
MFT Score: 0.0
2026 preseason baseline. Position-relative and updated through the site’s weekly review process.