The 2022 NFL Draft has turned out very differently than in years past, now the focus of teams has not been on quarterbacks, so much so that the first to be drafted was Kenny Pickett as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ No. 20 pick. The second was Desmond Ridder, the University of Cincinnati graduate was selected 74th overall by the Atlanta Falcons.
Surprisingly, no quarterbacks were selected in the second round. This could be the draft with the fewest quarterbacks drafted.
Ole Miss’ Matt Corral went with the No. 94 pick to Carolina after trade talks for Baker Mayfield appeared to come to a halt. Corral is a playmaker who put up prolific stats with the Rebels, but he’ll be a backup to Sam Darnold to start 2022.
Ridder has rebuilt Falcons
Atlanta had one of the best quarterbacks in recent years, Matt Ryan, who won the NFL’s most valuable player. As a replacement they signed Marcus Mariota, but clearly they see Ridder in the future.
Ridder helped the Cincinnati Bearcats to a 46-6 record over four seasons. The 43 wins is the third-best mark in the FBS, behind only Kellen More, 50 with Boise State and Colt McCoy, 45 with Texas.
Ridder’s numbers
Ridder had a career year as a senior with the Bearcats, throwing for 3,334 yards, 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The 6-foot-4 prospect completed 64.9% of his passes and averaged 8.6 yards per throw last season
Height: 6’3.3
Weight: 211
School: Cincinnati
40-Yard dash: 4.49
3-Cone: 7.15
Shuttle: 4.29
Vertical: 36″
Broad: 10’7″
Stats: 3,334 passing yards | 30 touchdowns | eight interceptions | 110 carries | 335 rushing yards | six touchdowns
Honors: AAC OPOY, First Team All-AAC (2020 and 2021), AAC Rookie of the Year (2018)
Marca
