The Atlanta Falcons may have just drafted their next franchise quarterback. With the 74th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft the Atlanta Falcons selected Desmond Ridder, the very accomplished quarterback out of Cincinnati. Now, Ridder being the face of the Atlanta Falcons franchise for the next decade plus isn’t as clear as it was 14 years ago when the Falcons drafted Matt Ryan with the third overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, but Desmond Ridder has some very good qualities, and Jon Chuckery likes this pick a lot and he thinks the best value Desmond Ridder has is that he is a “winner”.
Desmond Ridder leaves the University of Cincinnati very decorated as he AAC Conference Rookie of the Year in 2018, two-time AAC Conference Offensive Player of the Year, two-time All-AAC Conference First-Team, Ridder was the Birmingham Bowl MVP in 2020, and of course in his last season with Cincinnati, Ridder helped lead the Bearcats to the College Football Playoff for the first time in school history. As mentioned earlier Jon Chuckery said during his show on Friday that he really likes this pick for the Atlanta Falcons and he thinks this is a good “value pick” for the Falcons. Chuck says that he wants a “winner” at quarterback and Ridder is exactly that as he posted an impressive 44-6 record during his time with the Bearcats, and really put the Cincinnati Bearcats football program on the national map. However, Jon was also very quick to tell Atlanta Falcons fans “Don’t expect Desmond Ridder to start anytime soon for the Atlanta Falcons.” Chuckery believes the Falcons will fully “groom” him and not put Ridder on the field until he is ready. Jon also doesn’t think Ridder will compete with Marcus Mariota this year saying “Is he going to compete with Marcus Mariota, not really.” Jon believes the only way that Desmond Ridder is going to be on the field playing quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons this upcoming season instead of Marcus Mariota is “if Marcus Mariota gets hurt.” Now, Jon does acknowledge Ridder being a third round pick which is still pretty high, so he does allude to the possibility of Ridder becoming the starter next year for the Falcons saying “I think the Falcons will give him all of this year and maybe part of next year.”
The quick answer to the question is no, barring an injury to Mariota, Desomd Ridder will probably not play for the Atlanta Falcons this year besides in the pre-season, and Jon does believe that Ridder is a “project” for the Falcons. However, Chuck did say tonight that this pick is his “favorite pick so far”, and that he like the fact that “the kid is a winner”, so how long it will take for Desmond Ridder to become the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons is still up in the air, but for a guy that left the Cincinnati Bearcats with a 44-6 record, set school records with 87 touchdown passes, 12,281 total yards, 113 total touchdowns, and his 10,239 passing yards being second in school history, I think the future of the Atlanta Falcons at the quarterback position could be in very good hands.