Dynasty Rookie Prospect Profile: Desmond Ridder (2022 Fantasy Football)

Confrontation is inevitable and unenviable. Some people trudge through their whole life, trying like hell to avoid it. It is like chasing a hard-to-swallow pill with vinegar but also a necessity for personal growth. When evaluating NFL prospects, certain names turn up the flame on the simmering pot of emotional attachments I develop through my process. Cincinnati Bearcat quarterback Desmond Ridder is a veritable lightning rod for debate when it comes to dynasty fantasy football and his place in the future NFL.

I must preface this by stating on the record that I don’t hate Ridder. But, in the same breath, he is frustrating to the point of exasperation on tape. Louisville’s lanky and athletically-gifted, three-star dual-threat has earned himself a spot among this year’s top quarterbacks. Last season, he was the square-jawed face of a remarkable college playoff run for the Cinderella Bearcats. Ridder is a wonderful gentleman with a fiery competitive spirit only mellowed by a pleasantly disarming humility. However, I still worry about him on a professional level.

Desmond Ridder was always productive at Cincinnati. He passed for more than 2,000 yards in all four seasons spanning a remarkable 50 games. Ridder also surpassed 500 rushing yards in each of his first three seasons before a spike in passing volume reduced his 2021 total to 355. Wins are not really a quarterback stat, but Cincinnati certainly did a lot of that during Ridder’s tenure. The measurables are in Ridder’s favor; he is a great athlete and has grown into his frame over the years. The best way I can describe Ridder on tape is that he’s like buying a movie, and you get the bonus content but not the feature presentation.

Desmond Ridder Draft Profile

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Desmond Ridder College Statistics

Desmond Ridder Dynasty Fantasy Analysis

Desmond Ridder's college career is a tale of stagnation followed by a sudden gear shift to a higher level, and he has held his inclined trajectory for over a year now. Most of his ascent to near the top of the 2022 draft class has been recent. Scouts have seen the excitingly athletic, non-power five quarterbacks struggle to adapt to the professional game countless times before. Ridder was no different leading into 2021.

Ridder's production spiked a great deal last season, but the bad habits that raised questions about his prospects at the next level were as present as ever. The biggest bugaboo I have with Ridder has to do with his footwork. His foundation is so inconsistent from play to play, resulting in very erratic ball placement and timing issues that will crush an offense in the NFL. Ridder has 50 games of experience under his belt, but the moments where his feet are in sequence with his progressions are fleeting.

The one marked improvement I saw from Ridder in 2021 was his decision-making. Until last season, Ridder would bail on the pocket faster than Frank Gallagher bailed on his family on the show "Shameless." Ridder ran less and kept his eyes downfield better when plays broke down last season. He is more dangerous as a ball carrier on designed QB runs anyway. Ridder moved through his progressions more freely and naturally as well. It will be necessary for his NFL coaching staff to continue to develop his game-management skills.

Ridder's throwing motion is inconsistent, but he has a good sense for angles and pairs good arm strength with decent touch on his throws at each level. He seems to live off-platform and is comfortable getting rid of the ball from any angle. Ridder exhibits good ball security, smartly keeping both hands on the football while navigating the pocket. His footwork comes into play again here because he often takes too many tiptoed steps into a solid base, leaving it up to his athleticism to swing the shoulders and hips into an accurate throw. Even one extra step in his drop can lead to a closed-window interception in the NFL.

The accuracy woes aren't as serious as they seem. Still, I find it puzzling that Ridder never once sniffed a 70 percent completion rate in an offense with receivers running wide open on virtually every play. It was also apparent that his yards per attempt were hampered by a reluctance to take many shots down the field vertically. Someone with Ridder's athleticism and arm talent has a built-in matchup advantage over the defense, yet he rarely pushed the envelope barring busted coverage.

It's almost as if Ridder doesn't trust his arm and/or his receiver's ability to make the play. He will need to quell that to become a good NFL quarterback. But, above all, Ridder must improve his consistency. The Jekyll-and-Hyde routine is not conducive to a successful career at the next level.

Dynasty managers will likely draft Ridder ahead of other names in this class because he will have some immediate rushing impact in his game. He is a far cry from Malik Willis as a rusher but will be the type to have a few chances per game to call his own number on RPOs and zone reads. Stylistically, Ridder reminds me of a more polished version of Colin Kaepernick, but that's not my exact comp. Similarly, Ridder's success and longevity in the NFL are weighted more heavily on landing spot than the other quarterbacks at the top of this class. Scouts and front office executives rave about Ridder's coachability and leadership skills. His future coaches will be challenged to elevate the skill set to match the intangibles.

Player Comp - Josh Johnson

This comparison is not a slight to Ridder. The 2008 draft cycle was interrupted by a blistering combine for the kid out of the University of San Diego Toreros of the FCS (Division 1-AA). Digging deeper into Johnson's tape, they found an immensely productive, versatile athlete who needed to be molded to fit the NFL game better. Johnson and Ridder are nearly identical in size and build, with sparkling four-year careers against suspect competition.

As prospects, they are very similar, but it is highly doubtful that Ridder's journey as an early pick would involve 15 different teams over 14 seasons (including stints in the AAF and XFL). Ridder's opportunity will come earlier and with more backing than Johnson ever received as a fifth-round pick.

I graded them nearly equally as third-round prospects, with Ridder's pedigree and the NFL's insatiable appetite for quarterbacks moving his draft capital earlier. Johnson's game looked pretty good in year 14 for the Jets in 2021, dicing up the Colts in primetime when thrust into an emergency appearance. With more serious opportunities, we may just see Ridder accomplish what Johnson never could.

Landing Spot and Dynasty Outlook

Desmond Ridder falls in the same third-round bucket as Malik Willis and Matt Corral from this class. Marcus Mariota might have been signed as the team's bridge quarterback option, but that doesn't wipe Ridder off the map to possibly win the job out of camp. The draft capital doesn't ensure he'll be given that shot, but Arthur Smith knows Mariota quite well from their time in Tennessee. If Smith thinks Ridder can bring something more to the table or operate similarly to Mariota, he could win the starting call. Smith's love for play-action passing will help Ridder. Last year Matt Ryan ranked 11th in play-action dropback rate (minimum 200 dropbacks, per PFF). In 2021, Ridder was tied for 17th in play-action passing touchdowns out of 121 qualifying quarterbacks (minimum 200 dropbacks, per PFF).

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