FOXBORO — Derek Rivers’ debut has been on hold far longer than expected, and that wait is still lingering.



The Patriots’ top pick in the 2017 draft has been a healthy scratch in the first regular-season games against the Texans and Jaguars, prolonging a level of anticipation that has brewed for about 13 months. That’s because the third-rounder’s rookie season was wiped away when he crumbled to the ground with a torn ACL during joint practices with the Texans at the Greenbrier in West Virginia.



Rivers appeared to get off to a strong start in training camp when the edge rusher rotated with the starting defense, but he has fallen to the bottom of the depth chart over the past two weeks. So what does he need to do to crack the game-day lineup?



“Just keep getting better,” Rivers said. “That’s it. Just like everybody else. Just keep getting better. Keep working, keep working. God has a plan. Whenever it’s...