2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Desmond Ridder

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Desmond Ridder, 6-3/207 Quarterback Cincinnati

Desmond Ridder Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Good arm strength

Can make beautiful throws downfield

Can make all the throws required

Throws a catchable ball

Can pick up yards on the ground

Has some pocket presence

Can make superb throws off platform

Flashes tremendous accuracy on some throws

Good ball placement at times

Can throw touch passes

Mobility

Can hurt defenses on the ground

Difficult to sack

Athletic

Upside

Weaknesses:

Poor field vision

Has to improve working through his progressions

Must get more consistent reading defenses

Often stares down his primary read

Needs to learn to move coverage with his eyes

Could stand to improve decision making

Has some ball-security issues

Accuracy issues

Can hold the ball too long

Will need to improve footwork

Not ready to play; needs development

Summary: Ridder was a solid quarterback for Cincinnati over the past four seasons, leading the program all the way to the college football playoff in 2021. Ridder forst started as a freshman, completing 62.4 percent of his passes for 2,445 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. His numbers dipped as a sophomore, when he completed 55 percent of his passes for 2,164 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Ridder played better as a junior in 2020, completing 66 percent for 2,296 yards, 19 touchdowns and six interceptions. The senior had his best season in 2021, completing 64.9 percent of his passes for 3,334 yards, 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Ridder then participated in the Senior Bowl, where he turned in an underwhelming week of practice. Ridder showed he has a quality skill set, but he also illustrated that he needs a lot of development in terms of issues like field vision and accuracy.



As a pro prospect, Ridder has the physical talent to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. There is no doubt that he has some good tools to work with. Ridder possesses a quality arm and can fire some passes downfield and to the sideline. He also shows the ability to put air under the ball and throw touch passes. Lofting in passes between defenders and throwing receivers open can be tough for strong-armed quarterbacks because they can become too reliant on fast balls. Ridder does not have that issue, and he has some mobility to move around as well. When plays break down, Ridder can use his feet to buy time, and he can make some passes off platform. Ridder has enough quickness and athleticism to present a threat to hurt defenses on the ground.

There are significant flaws in Ridder’s game entering the next level. His field vision is a major point for improvement. He consistently locks his eyes on his primary read and does not move them away. He stares down targets and does not look off defenders. On the occasion Ridder does scan the field, he’s too slow; he needs to get faster for the NFL and not hold the ball so long. His issues could be seen at Senior Bowl, where he took some unnecessary sacks. Reading the field, working through his progressions, and making good decisions are the key parts of Ridder’s development.

In speaking to sources at multiple teams, they said had Ridder graded as a future backup and mid-round pick. Perhaps there is a team that likes him enough to take him early in the 2022 NFL Draft, but the consensus opinion among scouts has him lower.



Player Comparison: Brett Hundley. Ridder reminds me of Hundley coming out of UCLA. Both had quality skill sets, but pocket-passing limitations left them needing development. Huntley was an NFL backup, and Ridder could end up being a backup as well.

2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Adam Anderson, OLB, Georgia Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri Amaré Barno, OLB, Virginia Tech Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson David Bell, WR, Purdue Nik Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas Zachary Carter, DE, Florida Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin Lewis Cine, S, Georgia Damone Clark, LB, LSU Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati James Cook, RB, Georgia Yusuf Corker, S, Kentucky Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State Nick Cross, S, Maryland Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, CB, Cincinnati Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State Logan Hall, DE, Houston Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame Christian Harris, LB, Alabama Daxton Hill, S, Michigan Chasen Hines, G, LSU Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan Ed Ingram, G, LSU Drake Jackson, DE, USC Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State Zion Johnson, G, Boston College Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah Drake London, WR, USC Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington Verone McKinley, S, Oregon John Metchie, WR, Alabama Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming David Ojabo, DE, Michigan Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State Cade Otton, TE, Washington Evan Neal, OT, Alabama Josh Paschal, DE, Kentucky Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa Nick Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State George Pickens, WR, Georgia Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State Jamaree Salyer, G, Georgia Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M Derek Stingley, CB, LSU Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State Quay Walker, LB, Georgia Travon Walker, DE, Georgia Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State Zamir White, RB, Georgia Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M

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