Hey everyone, here is another highly touted 2022 NFL Draft quarterback prospect for me to share analysis on! Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati’s 6’4″ 215 lb. signal caller, was named AAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2020.
Strengths: Ridder is a dangerous dual threat quarterback with great running ability. Not only is he a smooth, athletic mover, he also possesses great field vision that aids him when he runs. Ridder’s running threat provides him with great escapability too. He senses pressure fairly well and generally makes good decisions on when to run. As a passer, Ridder has the requisite natural arm strength to make every throw with ease. He flashes being able to throw into tight windows over the middle of the field with a lot of zip. He clearly also has the arm to throw deep and flashes proper touch. Ridder’s accuracy on short throws is good. Ridder can alter his arm angle when needed. Combining this ability with his running threat, Ridder provides a lot of creativity and talent in improvising when the play breaks down and extending the play. He is comfortable throwing on the run and this can become a bigger part of his game once his overall accuracy improves. Ridder plays with great composure, always appearing calm and rarely panicking even in high-pressure situations, which played a large part in Cincinnati’s one-loss record. While Ridder has several major areas to work on, his accuracy, anticipation, and vision of the field were all notably better in the important last two games of the season, suggesting further progression to come.
Weaknesses: Ridder has a ways to go as a passer. His deep ball accuracy is poor. He routinely misses open receivers, with most balls arriving too high or too long. When Ridder doesn’t miss his receiver, he makes the reception notably harder. Open touchdowns can turn into contested catches, and receivers are often adjusting too much to his throws, even when they are open. The amount of touchdowns Ridder left on the field in 2021 by missing his target is unacceptable. His erratic accuracy can also put the ball in danger when it happens to fall closer to the defender, and this will be an even bigger issue in the NFL if not corrected due to the superior athleticism and instincts of defenders. There are very few intermediate throws in Cininnati’s offense, so Ridder will have to show he can turn those flashes into consistency in the NFL from this range. Ridder is not a high-volume passer and may never be the type of quarterback who can be counted on to engineer a comeback with his arm or execute a two-minute drill because he is more of a dual-threat rather than a pure passer. Ridder could sense blindside pressure better. His ability to go through progressions improved as the season went on but is still a work in progress.
Bottom Line: Ridder’s projection to the NFL really remains a question mark and will be determined by the improvement or lack thereof he shows in the 2021 season. Ridder’s poise and running ability make him a very good college quarterback already, but he must develop a lot as a passer, especially by becoming more accurate (particularly deep), in order to have a successful NFL career. If he makes a big jump in 2021, as his late-season progress in 2020 suggests he might, Ridder could be a first round talent who goes on to be a good quarterback in the NFL. But if he does not, I struggle to see justification for Ridder to be drafted as a likely franchise quarterback. 2021 is an extremely important year for the uber-talented signal caller.
