Of the 15 quarterback prospects who participated in on-field activities during the annual NFL Combine on Thursday, only one of them made an appearance in this past season's College Football Playoff. Cincinnati star Desmond Ridder made a strong impression with his agility and seasoned leadership traits, and quarterback-needy teams have certainly been keeping tabs on him.
Although it's unclear which quarterback will come off the board first on draft night, Ridder believes it should be him. He told reporters that he's "the most ready both mentally and athletically," and "at the end of the day, I'm a winner." Ridder's claim is valid -- in four seasons as Cincinnati's starter, he went 44-6, and those wins are the third-most in FBS history. And, he reached the CFP.
"There's 323 kids here. Desmond Ridder, all these kids have confidence -- he had the most confidence," CBS Sports NFL reporter Ryan Wilson explained to the Maggie and Perloff show on Friday. "And he had an edge when you spoke to him about how serious he takes all of this. He has a young child, so that's something, obviously, that's in the forefront of his mind. Supporting his family. But he also plays with a chip on his shoulder because he went to Cincinnati...
"He's going to get into rooms, talk to these NFL teams, and he's going to sell them on his leadership. Now, the question becomes, is it going to carry over to the field. But, as you know, he has a ton of great games in his arsenal... He does have to work on things like arm strength. He can make every NFL throw, but in terms of being more consistent with the ball placement, which at times sort of stuck out when you watched him play."
Ridder, who's listed at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, is currently the third-ranked quarterback and 32nd overall prospect on the Pro Football Focus draft board. In 14 games last year, the 22-year-old completed 65-percent of his passes for 3,334 yards with 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions, and also rushed for 355 yards on 110 attempts with six scores.
With the high level of production from Ridder, he helped carry the Bearcats to an undefeated regular season (13-0), and in December, they became the very first Group of Five team to clinch a CFP spot. Unfortunately for Cincinnati, the magic disappeared in the Cotton Bowl semifinal against top-ranked Alabama. Ridder finished eighth in Heisman voting, and participated in the Senior Bowl.
The entire NFL conversation between Wilson and Maggie and Perloff can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Maggie and Perloff Show on Twitter @MaggieandPerl and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.