Desmond Ridder At Pick No. 74? - How Did Falcons Do It?
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It's no surprise that the Atlanta Falcons came out of the draft with a quarterback. But the most significant surprise came in the way of who the Falcons selected with the No. 74 pick, Desmond Ridder.
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Atlanta took Ridder over Georgia native Malik Willis — who had been linked to the Falcons ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Willis may have been the most intriguing quarterback prospect. But the Falcons became intrigued by Ridder's skill set and leadership qualities, which propelled the two-time American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year winner up Atlanta's draft board.
"He's played at a high level, and it's impressive what that program did," coach Arthur Smith said following Day 2 of the draft. "I like all these guys. You get them, and there are certain things that they were successful at in college, and that's our part in coaching — to enhance some of those skills.
"The mental makeup of them, I thought his decision-making, I thought he had a good feel in the pocket. There are a couple little minor technical things, you can always work with the quarterbacks. That gave us a lot of comfort.”
Ridder led the Cincinnati Bearcats to their most successful season in the history of the program in 2021.
He finished his collegiate career leading the Bearcats to a 13-1 record. After throwing for 3,334 yards and 30 touchdowns against only eight interceptions, Ridder became one of the most sought-after prospects for the class of 2022.
Ridder was the first quarterback to be taken off the draft board during Day 2. Smith says he wasn't surprised that Ridder was still available early in the third round, which was the reason why Atlanta did not trade up in their pursuit for a quarterback.
The plan for Ridder going into his rookie campaign is to learn from veteran Marcus Mariota. Smith believes the two quarterbacks are similar to each other — given their athletic makeup and physical traits.
Mariota, who signed with the Falcons as a free agent in March, is entering his first year as Atlanta's projected starting quarterback for the upcoming season. But there will be a chance for Ridder to over-take the helm as the Falcons starter under center.
"They are both very athletic quarterbacks, and that's a good thing that he looked up to Marcus because it will be a really good room," Smith said. "Marcus being the vet, that's the way it will go starting. But nothing is ever written in stone. We understand that. When you have the right guys, that's how that room works, especially where we're at right now with our program."
The Falcons attended Cincinnati's Pro Day and kept tabs on Ridder throughout the draft process.
Ridder is entering his rookie season with a chip on his shoulders, eager to prove his doubters wrong. Ridder felt that he and Willis waited too long before hearing their names called on draft night. Willis was taken at pick No. 86 by the Tennessee Titans.
